Gavin Cooper
Gavin Cooper is an author, scriptwriter, lecturer, public speaker, marketeer and director of mental health charity Derbyshire Mind. Gavin is an up and coming writer on mental health and his creative writing projects aim to raise awareness of mental health conditions and reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. His portfolio of work includes the collection of short stories ‘Soul Trader’, the short story and upcoming audio book ‘An Afternoon Tea Party’, the comedy book 'Called To The Bar' and the novella ‘When The Wolf Calls Again’, which is based on his own experiences of living with a mental health condition.
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Gavin is commissioned as scriptwriter for the dramatised documentary film ‘On The Borderline’, which aims to show the realities of living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The production is supported by Derby QUAD and will launch at their cinema and exhibition centre. The film will subsequently be streamed as a tool to help to train social services and medical professionals. Other film projects include the psychological drama 'Visiting Order', which is a story inspired by real life events that explores mental illness, suicide and violent crime.
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Gavin is a member of the steering group for Evolution Film, which was established in 2022 for the purpose of Examining and Addressing Inequality in the Film and Television industries. ​​He has appeared as a guest speaker at various events, including the 'Disability Matters European Conference', the 'Addressing Neurodiversity in Screenwriting Symposium' and the 'Evolving Innovation in the British Film Industry Through Mental Health and Disability Equality Seminar'. He also works as a scriptwriting consultant on projects with aspiring new filmmakers with mental ill health and/or disabilities.
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Gavin is an NHS volunteer working at the Royal Derby Hospital on the Combined Triage Assessment Unit. This involves working alongside a highly skilled team of nursing and medical staff, specialising in the triage, assessment and treatment of Oncology and Haematology patients undergoing cancer treatment. The unit has recently made the shortlist for the category of Urgent and Emergency Care Safety Initiative of the Year at this year's HSJ Awards, for their innovative and compassionate work that saw them free up a whole inpatient ward while also improving safety for patients receiving treatment for cancer. (See link below to read article.)
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He is a keen runner and regularly enters marathon and half marathon events across the UK. He is a fan of Derby County and practises kickboxing, snooker and tournament chess. He also enjoys theatre, live entertainment and film festivals.
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