Businesses have many opportunities to set great examples and do good. While interviewing Jamie Watkins and Tom Kennedy, the founders and creative directors of Divine Savages, for ESTILA Volume 6 – Evolution,  we had no idea that there is something even bigger in their story. Not only that their collections are currently taking the interiors world by storm but also they are raising money for Braintrust in the process. This is Divine Savages story of supporting a charity.

Written by Tom:  I’d just turned 18 when I lost my amazing dad Paul Kennedy to a brain tumour. He was diagnosed in April 1993 at the age of 42 with a malignant tumour. Doctors compared it to chewing gum crossing throughout his brain and that he only had 6 months to live. Fortunately, mum wasn’t going to accept that and fought for him to have radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy which gave us 5 more precious years together until September 1998. 

He was an amazing father and filled our childhood with so much fun, love and laughter. He had 4 big loves; family, soul music, art & probably his favourite of all football! He taught me everything about art & dancing, although failed miserably trying to get me into football (lol). Towards the end dad was very ill and he passed away in a hospice care home at the age of 47. I wish we had even more time with him… sometimes it’s the little things that I miss, like never being able to go for a pint with him, that it had to be my brother who taught me how to shave & that Jamie never got to meet him…

So that’s why I’m doing this charity 50 mile walk around the Isle of White in 48 hours – so that many more families DON’T have to go through this or just have more time with their loved ones. 

This year marks 20 years since he passed and research has barely come any further. Treatments have barely improved compared to the breakthroughs with breast cancer treatment.

So please help me raise money for the amazing charity Braintrust  – a UK based brain tumour support charity that provides personal 24/7 support from the point of diagnosis onwards, and builds resources to help people living with a brain tumour to become stronger.  They also work with hospitals to secure the best care possible for brain cancer sufferers.

Thank you x

You can support Tom and Jamie and everyone else involved in the walk via JustGiving page.