Glasgow 2026 Everybody is born a Champion

Everybody is Born a Champion

Thomas Young, 2026 Commonwealth Games

The perfect birthday present 

After a crushing injury before the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Thomas Young came roaring back at Glasgow 2026, winning the T38 100m Gold on 27 July, his 26th birthday!

Nerve Tumours UK have again joined forces with RBH Creative Communications, for a fifth successive year and the second part of our 2026 digital media campaign to raise awareness of Neurofibromatosis. 

The campaign features British Para-Sprinter Thomas Young MBE, who has NF1 and has been a patron of the charity since 2024. It will run across 30 rail hubs from 24-30 July 2026, coinciding with the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Thomas Young is a British Para-Sprinter

He was crowned Paralympic T38 100m Champion at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, breaking the European Record in the process. He has won Paralympic Gold, World Silver in 2019 and 2024, World Bronze in 2025 and three times has been crowned European T38 100M Champion. In 2022 he was awarded an MBE for his services to Athletics. We are delighted that Thomas, who is diagnosed with NF1, continues to support the NF community as a Patron of Nerve Tumours UK.

What Is Neurofibromatosis?

Neurofibromatosis is an incurable, neuro-genetic condition that causes tumours to grow on nerve endings, affecting over 26,500 children and adults living in the UK.

Neurofibromatosis, collectively known as NF, is the medical group name for Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), NF2-related-Schwannomatosis (NF2) and Schwannomatosis (SWN).

Combined, NF is one of the most common neuro-genetic conditions, although it can still be classified as a rare condition. NF manifests itself differently from person to person and so it is important that everyone is helped on an individual basis. Parents have a 50% chance of passing this genetic condition onto their child, but 50% of all diagnoses are a first one within the family.

Working For The NF Community

For over 45 years, Nerve Tumours UK has provided support and advice to help the 26,500+ children and adults in the UK diagnosed with NF, along with their carers, family members and wider support network, which can include teachers, employers and all types of healthcare professionals.

We do this through funding a unique specialist support network, comprising regional nurses, national helpline, clinical guidelines, information days, an interactive website, online communities plus medical guidelines/literature.

Support Our Work

Our aim is to meet the needs of the 26,500+ in the NF Community, to ensure that each and every patient has direct access to the correct care path and subsequent services, as well as helping more people to know about and better understand Neurofibromatosis. We are 100% funded by voluntary donations, so are entirely reliant on your fundraising support.

"In May we launched the first part of our 2026 campaign, which posed the question "What Is Neurofibromatosis?", to spark interest amongst those who have not heard of the condition, and to further engage with those who do.

"The second part of the campaign, spanning the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, feautures one of the charity's patrons, Thomas Young, as we feel it is extremely important to celebrate those living with NF and their achievements. We want the NF Community to know that, with the correct support, such as from our team of Specialist NF Nurses/Advisors, they can achieve their potential.

"We are extremely grateful for Thomas agreeing to lead the campaign once again and send our best wishes for a successful Games!"

– Karen Cockburn, Charity Director
 

"At RBH, we are so proud to be supporting Nerve Tumours UK for the 5th consecutive year. The work they do for people with NF is vitally important and we are committed to helping raise awareness of this little-known condition.

"With this campaign we re-focused on building the profile of the remarkable Thomas Young, a British Para-Sprinter with NF1 who is Patron of Nerve Tumours UK. Our hope is that this campaign goes a long way in bringing both Nerve Tumours UK and Thomas Young front of mind among the general public, especially with Thomas recently running his personal best in preparation for Glasgow!"

- RBH Creative Communication https://rbh.co.uk/
 

A special thank you to Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease for their support sponsoring this campaign. They had no input into the content of the campaign. Thanks also to JCDecaux for their continued support with booking and facilitating the advertising locations.

The campaign features on billboards at these railway stations/shopping centres: Birmingham New Street Station, Blackfriars Station, Brighton Station, Bristol Temple Meads Station, Cambridge Station, Edinburgh Waverley Station, Glasgow Railway Station, Glasgow St Enoch Mall, Leeds Station, Liverpool Lime Street Station, London Bridge Station, London City Thameslink Station, London Elephant and Castle Station, London Euston Station, London Kings Cross Station, London St Pancras Station, London Waterloo Station, Manchester Piccadilly Station, Nottingham Station, Oxford Parkway Station, Reading Station, Sheffield Station

Share our awareness campaign on your social media or take a photo on location.
Tag @nervetumoursuk with #MakeNFVisible in your posts

Congratulations to Thomas Young T38, 100 Metre Champion Glasgow 2026!

"After the heartbreak of missing 2022, I’m so happy to finally line up and be on the top step of the podium at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026. It’s been a massive journey of ups and downs but race on the 27th July 2026 made it all worth it!" Thomas Young on his championship record