About Us
The Project
After the success of Mark Wilkinsons documentary ‘To Courtney With Love’ for BBC 1, Cat Austin (activity’s co-ordinate for St. James’ TCT ward in Leeds) Sue Morgan (Leeds Teenage and young adult nurse specialist), and Mark had the idea to give out cameras to young patients on ward 10T so they could make their own video diary, animation, whatever they wanted as long as it was something creative and had something to do with their cancer journey.
The films would then go onto a DVD for newly diagnosed patients on the ward. The films were then put up on a web site, jimmyteens.tv was born.
This was all funded by Candlelighters, a local cancer charity. Christie’s Young Oncology Unit in Manchester heard about the project and also produced a DVD called ‘Keeping It Real Through Cancer’, and added their films to the site.
Support
It wasn’t long before the Teenage Cancer Trust realised the potential for the project and gave their support to the project to go all over the UK, and is now its main sponsor and partner.
Meet the Team
Mark Wilkinson
mark@jimmyteens.tv
Project Co-ordinator and film editor.
Peter Wilkinson
peter@jimmyteens.tv
My name is Peter Wilkinson and I am the video editor for jimmyteenstv. I’m 23 and have come from a media and drama background. I started work for jttv in April 09. Although we share the same surname, Mark and I are not related.
I was first made aware of jttv at age 21 when I was treated on the Teenage Cancer ward at Sheffield for a cancerous brain tumour called a Pineal Blastoma. Recently, at the age of 23 I was put into remmision and am gradualy getting better.
I found jttv extremaly helpful while I was having treatment and I made a number of film and animations. I found that seeing the funny side of cancer took my mind off the actual reality of what was happing to me. The same applies now and this is why I still produce some films and animations as even after treatment I find the site really therapeutic as I’m sure all you cancer survivors do too.
Always stay strong,
Peter wilkinson.
Claire Pope
claire@jimmyteens.tv
Claire has been working in the Arts in Health field for a number of years and has had posts within the hosptial arts teams at Leeds and Cambridge.
As Producer for jimmyteenstv, Claire co-ordinates the new hospitals coming on board, manages special projects and helps Mark maintain the existing hospitals.
Lucie Carrington
lucie@jimmyteens.tv
Lucie is the mentor for Sheffield and Manchester areas.
Claire Henderson
claireh@jimmyteens.tv
Hey, my name is Claire Henderson and I’m the mentor for jimmyteenstv in Ireland. I started working for jimmyteenstv in Septemeber 09. I am qualified youth worker and also am finishing a degree in Business Studies with Computing.
I was introduced to jttv in Oct 08 when I was on 10 north in Belfast City Hospital by my social worker when I was having my intensive treatment and transplant for Hodgkins Lymphoma. In Dec 08 I was put into remission and am slowly starting to rebuild my life and get stronger.
Being given a camera during treatment really helped me to forgot what I was going through and concentrate on something that was different and allowed me to be creative. I have made many films and still am continuing to film and find the site helpful even after finishing treatment.
Keep going
Claire Henderson
Nick Kostov
nickostov@hotmail.com
I mentor for both the London and Cambridge areas. I was introduced to the Jimmy Teens project in 2007 whilst receiving treatment for Ewing’s Sarcoma at Addenrookes Hospital. Both watching and making films proved very therapeutic during my time in hospital and, now in remission, I have chosen to get more involved. I hope that through Jimmy Teens I can help others through their journey.
Tom de Bruin
info@jimmyteenstv.com
Tom de Bruin is now in remission after treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Following his referral to the Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service, based on the TCTU in Leeds, he soon became interested in the project. As a young person with web-design experience, he became actively involved and has developed, and is now running, the web-site.
Sarah Hall
Sarah provides the introductory texts for the films.
I’m 17 years old, from Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, was introduced to Jimmyteens.tv after my best friend Alice Bullock was diagnosed with cancer in July 2006 and took the site by storm! My interests include reading, writing and art and I am keen to become involved within the project and other fundraising events.
Debs Upperdine
debs@jimmyteens.tv
I found out about jimmyteens.tv while I was caring for my partner who was undergoing treatment for cancer on a TCT ward. I saw how useful the site was for him and other cancer patients and wanted to get more involved in the project. My role is Jimmyteenstv production assistant and at the moment I am archiving all the films and footage that Jimmyteenstv have made in the past few years.
