The National Brain Appeal

07/10/2026

Christmas has landed at The National Brain Appeal 🎄

We had such a wonderful response to last year’s range that this year we wanted to give you even more choice, and more ways to support people affected by neurological conditions.

From Christmas cards and gift wrap to gift bags, tissue paper, bundled products and more, there’s plenty to help you get ready for the season.

Our Christmas card collection also includes some very special designs, including the winner of our Christmas card competition, Maya Cawdell, alongside beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of The National Hospital and The Hilary and Galen Weston Rare Dementia Support Centre by Liam Wales.

So, whether you’re sending cards or wrapping gifts this Christmas, why not support a great cause at the same time?

Every purchase helps raise vital funds for people affected by brain, spine and muscle conditions, supporting innovative research, pioneering treatments and enhanced facilities at Queen Square.

Explore the full Christmas range https://shop.nationalbrainappeal.org

06/10/2026

Fancy giving your Halloween celebrations a fundraising twist this year? 🎃

Last Halloween, Josephine and Michael Gordon brought friends together for a party and raised almost £2,000 for our Rare Dementia Support Fund.

Michael was diagnosed with young-onset dementia, and the couple have been supported by the Rare Dementia Support team for several years.

“We wanted to hold an event to raise money to provide hope in the future for others living with rare forms of dementia. It was a great party and everyone enjoyed themselves!”

Feeling inspired? You could host your own Halloween party, organise a pumpkin carving evening, hold a spooky bake sale, plan a scary film night or take on the Halloween Walk.

However you choose to get involved, your fundraising can help support people affected by neurological conditions.

Plan your DIY challenge today https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/fundraise/diy/

06/10/2026

Faster MRI scans for dementia to be tested on NHS 🧠

The UCL-led RADIANCE study will evaluate an AI-powered MRI protocol that can reduce scan times from around 20–30 minutes to approximately seven minutes.

The project is one of nine technologies being supported through a UK Research and Innovation programme as part of the government's Dementia Challenge. The next stage will gather real-world evidence on how practical and effective ultrafast MRI could be in NHS settings, with the potential to support wider rollout across the UK.

Shorter scans could allow more people to be scanned using existing MRI machines, while also making the experience easier for people who find it difficult to keep still or lie flat for longer periods.

Study co-lead Professor Nick Fox, Director of the UCL Dementia Research Centre and co-director of Rare Dementia Support, a service we have funded since its inception, said, “These ultrafast imaging protocols will allow many more people to get scanned on existing MRI scanners. The scans should be faster, cheaper and less burdensome for patients who have difficulty keeping still.”

06/10/2026

04/10/2026

A special visit to Queen Square 💙

We were delighted to welcome our celebrity ambassador, actor Indira Varma (The Night Manager, Game of Thrones, The Other Bennet Sister), to Queen Square to see first hand how support for The National Brain Appeal is helping accelerate advances for people affected by neurological conditions.

Indira met clinicians, nurses and researchers and heard about a wide range of work supported by the charity, from glioblastoma care and research and familial frontotemporal dementia, to innovative robotic surgery and improvements in neurorehabilitation services.

She also visited The Hilary and Galen Weston Rare Dementia Support Centre, seeing how support from our community is helping transform research, treatment, care and support across Queen Square.

Indira has a personal connection to our work, having lost her father to motor neurone disease and her mother to Alzheimer’s, making the visit particularly meaningful.

Thank you, Indira, for spending time with us and for continuing to support The National Brain Appeal.

Photos: Marie Mangan

02/10/2026

One unforgettable journey from London to Paris 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️

A huge congratulations to Alison Nicholls and her brother David Sharp, who took on the London to Paris cycle challenge in memory of their mum, Belinda, and for Rare Dementia Support.

Over four days, they cycled through the Kent Downs, crossed into France, tackled long climbs and headwinds, passed through the Somme, and finally rode into the heart of Paris.

Their final day saw all 29 riders pedalling around the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Élysées and alongside the Seine before finishing at the Eiffel Tower, where a surprise family support team was waiting for them.

As Alison and David put it: “It was a huge challenge, and it seems strange to think that we’ve actually cycled all the way from London to Paris.”

Together, they’ve already raised £11,000 for Rare Dementia Support, with more still coming in.

Thank you, Alison and David, for taking on such an epic challenge, and to everyone who has supported them along the way 💙

01/10/2026

Could AI help doctors monitor brain tumours more accurately?

Through The National Brain Appeal’s Innovation Fund, Professor Harpreet Hyare Richardson was awarded £74,639 to explore how AI could improve the diagnosis and monitoring of brain tumours.

MRI scans are essential throughout a patient’s treatment, but monitoring often involves comparing scans taken at different points in time and looking for visible changes. Small differences can be difficult to detect, and uncertainty can mean patients need further scans.

Harpreet’s team is trialling an AI-assisted tool designed to measure and describe changes in a tumour’s size and structure more objectively, helping clinicians track growth or response to treatment over time.

The project has the potential to directly benefit around 200 patients treated by the neuro-oncology service at Queen Square each year, providing more precise information to support clinical decisions and more personalised care.

Harpreet says, “We envisage that our AI-assisted tool will provide more sensitive measurements of tumour growth, better inform clinical decision-making and reduce NHS costs.”

The team ultimately hopes the technology could be tested more widely across the UK, with the potential to save significant NHS time and resources as well as improve care for patients.

We are very grateful to Rosetrees and The Q Charitable Trust for their support of this project.

Learn more about the Innovation Fund: https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/what-we-do/current-appeals/innovation-fund/

27/09/2026

A festive evening at St Clement Danes 🎄

Join us on Wednesday 16 December for The National Brain Appeal’s Carol Concert, bringing together heart-warming carols and uplifting performances in the heart of London.

We’re delighted to be joined by actors Nicola Walker, known for The Split, and Samuel West, currently starring in the Emmy and BAFTA award-winning drama Slow Horses, with more guests and performances helping to make this Christmas extra special.

Doors open at 6.15pm, with a glass of sparkling w**e and mince pies on arrival, before the concert begins at 6.45pm.

It promises to be a lovely evening of festive celebration, all while supporting our work for people affected by neurological conditions.

🎟️ Tickets are available now, including standard and VIP options, with an NHS discount also available.

Book your place https://www.nationalbrainappeal.org/event/christmas-carol-concert/

26/09/2026

Celebrating more of our brilliant A Letter in Mind artists 💌

These are just some of the artworks that have been purchased during our September promotion, each created by an artist who generously contributed their work to A Letter in Mind.

We’re so grateful to every artist who has taken part, and to everyone who has chosen an artwork of their own.

There’s still time to explore the remaining collection. Until 30 September, all remaining A Letter in Mind artworks are £50 each, reduced from £85.

Every artwork is one-of-a-kind, created anonymously on an envelope, with every purchase helping fund innovative research, pioneering treatments and enhanced facilities for people with brain conditions. 💙

Explore the collection https://shop.nationalbrainappeal.org/