Local Services

National Manager for Local Services, Helen Murray-Sharpe

• Email Helen

Helen’s role is to manage Epilepsy Action’s Local Services work across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With a team of six Local Services Managers (LSMs) around the country and one full and two part-time Local Services Officers based at New Anstey House, the team develops and supports a range of community-based services for people with epilepsy and their families and carers.

Branches and groups

The team sets up and supports a network of volunteers, branches and groups. These offer services within local communities including: support group meetings; information; friendship; education; public awareness; campaigning and fundraising.

Events

The team organises and runs a series of community events ranging from conferences and seminars to workshops and roadshows, family sports events and rarts activities. They provide an opportunity for people with epilepsy, their families and professionals to update themselves on the latest developments in epilepsy. There are presentations from experts, a chance to meet other people with epilepsy and activities to take part in.

Advice & information

The LSMs  and volunteers run a series of information days across their regions. Sometimes they are run in partnership with an existing branch and sometimes as a way of gaining support for a new branch.

Public information meetings

The LSMs run a series of information meetings, to give information about epilepsy and about local service provision. They are often run in partnership with volunteers and sometimes are used to help recruit new volunteers.

Fundraising events

The team organises and supports fund-raising events. Sometimes the event will be to help a new branch or group get off to a good financial start and sometimes to assist a local organisation, like the Lions or Round Table for example, wanting to raise funds for Epilepsy Action.

Local Services Managers

Central England Julie Clark Region covers Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Email Julie Local branches
Northern England Cliff Challenger Region covers Durham, Northumberland, Teesside and Tyne & Wear, Cheshire, Cumbria, East Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Yorkshire (North, South, East and West) Email Cliff Local branches
Northern Ireland Morina Clarke Region covers the whole of Northern Ireland Email Morina Local branches
London and South East England Marie Edgar Region covers Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Essex, Greater London, Hertfordshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex Email Marie Local branches
South West England Mark McDaid Region covers Avon, Berkshire, Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset and Wiltshire Email Mark Local branches
Wales Ann Sivapatham Region covers the whole of Wales. Email Ann Local branches