A NEW face has come on board to help continue the growth of a charity founded in Dorchester.

Cavernoma Alliance UK was set up by county town resident Dr Ian Stuart in 2006.

Ian had suffered from a cavernoma, a little known brain condition, for more than 20 years and was keen to help others in his situation.

The charity has come on in leaps and bounds over the years and now helps hundreds of people around the country.

In 2013 the charity received a Big Lottery Fund grant of nearly £200,000 to help grow its operations.

Now Paul Cooper has joined Cavernoma Alliance UK as its fundraising and development manager to help develop the programme initiated by the lottery grant and secure the charity’s long-term viability when the funding diminishes.

New recruit Paul said he was looking forward to getting stuck in to his new role and supporting the charity’s work.

He said: “I’m delighted to join Cavernoma Alliance UK as it is an excellent charity that promotes awareness and provides support for a little known condition, cavernoma, that can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and their families.”

Project manager and charity founder Ian said he was pleased to welcome Paul on board and it signified another step forward for the charity that he initially set up as a one-man band.

He said: “I’m very pleased to have Paul Cooper join the Cavernoma Alliance UK team.

“I’m looking forward to working with Paul so we can continue to support people with cavernoma.”

Brain cavernomas are clusters of abnormal blood vessels that can measure from a few millimetres to several centimetres.

In the UK one in 600 people has a brain cavernoma without symptoms while a recent study in Scotland suggested one in 400,000 are diagnosed with a symptomatic cavernoma.

The severity of symptoms vary but they can include dizziness, weakness or numbness of the face, arms or legs, double vision or slurred speech.

Cavernoma Alliance UK works to educate people about cavernomas as well as supporting people with the condition.

It runs various events including a conference in London and provides a forum for people with cavernomas and their families to share their experiences.

For more information about Cavernoma Alliance UK and its work call 01305 213876, email info@cavernoma.org.uk or visit cavernoma.org.uk