�ԹϺ���

�ԹϺ���'s award-winning Invisible Warrior project celebrates five years of raising awareness about Sickle Cell – marking the milestone at the Great Exhibition Road Festival next month!

What does it mean to live with a condition that most people know very little about, that leaves no visible mark, and that can make even the simplest daily tasks a quiet battle? That is the question at the heart of the Invisible Warrior project, an award-winning societal engagement project designed to increase the understanding of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Despite being one of the fastest growing genetic conditions in the UK – most common among people with African or Caribbean heritage – public understanding of Sickle Cell remains remarkably low. Five years since the project began, the team behind it continues to advocate for better understanding of Sickle Cell through workshops and activities in local schools, as well as for patients living with SCD, their friends and family, and medical professionals.

How it all began...  

Invisible Warrior was born from a chance encounter between two people: Linda van Keimpema, who was a Teaching Fellow working in the Faculty of Medicine, and Louisa Thompson, a Sickle Cell warrior born with the Sickle Cell disease SS.

The two met virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Louisa was invited by her psychologist, Dr. Jeremy Anderson, to share her story at a Centre for Haematology teaching session. Reflecting on what it was like to hear Louisa’s story for the first time, Linda remarked that she was “blown away by [her] own ignorance”.  

“I realised that if I, with my biological background” – Linda studied as a molecular bioengineer – “didn’t have a clue what it was really like to live with Sickle Cell, there must be so many people who don’t know.” The Invisible Warrior project grew from that realisation, with Linda and Louisa working together to figure out how they could increase awareness and understanding of Sickle Cell with others. 

In 2021, Invisible Warrior conducted its first school visit, where Louisa shared her story to educate young people on the reality of living with SCD, raising awareness about invisible disabilities and reducing medical stigma.  

What began as an unexpected meeting between Linda and Louisa has expanded to a much wider team of volunteers and contributors, including Dr Josefin Ahnström, Dr Christina Crossette-Thambiah and Ronnie Oyewole. Their work has now been recognized by multiple President's Awards for Excellence in Societal Engagement including the Achievement Award in 2023. 

From left to right: Ronnie Oyewole, Linda Van Keimpema, Louisa Thompson, Dr Josefin Ahnström and Dr Christina Crossette-Thambiah.

Five years of impact 

Over the past five years, the project has reached over 1,000 pupils through school sessions, delivered both digitally and in person to young people from Year 6 upwards. Sessions weave together blood science – with �ԹϺ��� scientists joining some workshops to explain their research first-hand – Louisa's personal story and interactive activities to make the subject tangible and memorable. 

Alongside their school's programme, Invisible Warrior hosts a growing series of workshops covering a range of topics that often go unaddressed, including sickle cell and dating, mental health and chronic pain, navigating the workplace, and improving relationships between patients and medical professionals.  

The team have also created and compiled numerous resources to raise Sickle Cell awareness, including  depicting Louisa’s story and an interactive quiz written by Linda (with graphics and illustrations by ).

A double anniversary at the Great Exhibition Road Festival 

Next month, Invisible Warrior will attend their fif�ٳ�&�Բ�����;���DzԲ��𳦳ܳپ�����&�Բ�����;�Ұ��𲹳�&�Բ�����;����󾱲����پ��Dz�&�Բ�����;��Dz���&�Բ�����;�����پ�����l (on 6-7 June) – with the festival marking an anniversary of its own this year!

The 2026 festival marks 175 years since the original Great Exhibition of 1851, a vast world fair that drew six million visitors and was the catalyst for founding many of South Kensington’s institutions and museums, including �ԹϺ���.

During this anniversary year, the festival programmers are inviting a deeper look at the Great Exhibition's complex legacy. Events like  and  aim to share the untold stories of the Great Exhibition, acknowledging the achievements of those who have been overlooked.

The Invisible Warrior project, in its own way, is doing something similar: insisting that those living with invisible disabilities deserve to be seen and more widely understood.

This year, the team will be based in the festival’s  located inside the Queen's Tower Rooms of the Sherfield Building. Festival attendees can drop by the Invisible Warrior stand to learn all about blood, the science behind Sickle Cell, and talk with Sickle Cell warriors about their experiences.

After this, they can take part in a led by a zine artist. Making a mini zine using drawing and collage that expresses their own perspective on invisible disabilities, which they can take home or add to the public display. 

Students from �ԹϺ��� College's STEM Futures programme will also take part in the festival. As part of their ongoing work with young people, Invisible Warrior has a long-standing collaboration with the programme, delivering workshops for students of Black heritage.

Students create posters as part of these workshops, and will present the winning design at the festival.

“The Great Exhibition Road Festival is a yearly highlight for the Invisible Warrior team, as the event allows us to interact with hundreds of visitors and raise awareness for Sickle Cell,” commented Linda.

Visitors often ask the same question as I did when first meeting Louisa: why don’t we know more about the deep and difficult struggles of the Sickle Cell community? And they want to help! Linda van Keimpema

“It’s a very positive and rewarding event, as visitors often ask the same question as I did when first meeting Louisa: why don’t we know more about the deep and difficult struggles of the Sickle Cell community? And they want to help!” 

One such visitor to last year’s Great Exhibition Road Festival was Natasha Moore, who was profoundly impacted by meeting the Invisible Warrior team. So much so, that she interviewed Linda to create  for her coursework as a trainee journalist and is volunteering at the Invisible Warrior stand at this year’s Great Exhibition Road Festival. 

Join the conversation 

The project team continues to develop new workshops, participate in public engagement events like the Great Exhibition Road Festival and �ԹϺ��� Lates, and are always looking for ways to expand its reach. To find out more about Invisible Warrior, including upcoming workshops and resources, visit the project's webpage or follow the team on , , and .

The Great Exhibition Road Festival is taking place on 6-7 June and is free to attend, register for the festival by going to greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk.

Invisible Warrior sits within �ԹϺ���’s Department of Immunology and Inflammation, is supported by the West London Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centre and was previously funded by �ԹϺ���'s Rapid Response Seed Fund.