So, here it is...

Volunteer opportunities across the UK

Every year, Epilepsy Action holiday cards are sold through a chain of ‘pop-up’ shops called Cards for Good Causes. These temporary shops pop up in schools, community centres, libraries, churches and town halls. They sell cards for a whole host of different charities. Last year, Cards for Good causes shops raised around £100,000 for Epilepsy Action alone.

The shops rely on help from volunteers across the UK, who staff these shops. Can you spare a few hours to help run your nearest shop in the count down to the holidays? Your help can raise money for Epilepsy Action and other charities.

For more details on volunteering in the build-up to Christmas, or to find your nearest shop, contact me by emailing cblunt@epilepsy.org.uk or calling 0113 210 8823. Thank you!

Be in it to win it!

Twice a year, Epilepsy Action runs a prize draw with cash prizes. In the Christmas Draw 2012, you can win up to £1,500 just in time for Christmas!

The winners from the Summer Draw 2012 have all now been contacted. The winning ticket numbers were as follows.

1st Prize: £1,500 cash    ticket number 062418
2nd Prize: £500 cash    ticket number 029939
3rd Prize: £250 cash    ticket number 072101

For your chance to win the Christmas Draw 2012, watch out for your tickets in the post in early October. They’ll come with your free personalised address labels – no more filling in ticket stubs by hand!

If you don’t receive tickets in October and would like some, call me, Clare Blunt, on 0113 210 8823 or enter online at www.epilepsy.org.uk/raffle

Armchair shopping

Christmas cards

The Epilepsy Action Christmas Collection 2012 is out now – and is packed with our stunning new range of cards! If you haven’t received your copy of the Christmas Collection 2012 with your print edition of Epilepsy Today and you would like one, email your name and address to me at cblunt@epilepsy.org.uk or call the fundraising team on 0113 210 8800.

Stocking fillers

You can see the full range of Epilepsy Action cards – including many designs exclusive to our online shop – by visiting www.epilepsy.org.uk/shop  Or have you already bought your cards? If that’s the case, you’ll find giftwrap, napkins and stocking fillers, too.

E–specially nice gifts

Also check out our brand new collection of virtual gifts. Instead of an unwanted present, give a gift that helps us fund our work. You can help fund one-to-one advice, care for epilepsy, first aid for seizures or life-changing epilepsy research. We’ll send you a special greetings card to pass to your loved one. It will let them know the gift you have bought and the difference it will make. Virtual gifts can be ordered from the Christmas Collection 2012 or online at www.epilepsy.org.uk/shop

Online Christmas shopping?

Whatever is on your Christmas shopping list, many people will be filling their virtual baskets on a range of different websites. Don’t forget that visiting retailers’ websites by clicking the links on the Epilepsy Action website means that the retailer makes a donation to us.

Visit www.epilepsy.org.uk/mall to find these links. They will take you to tons of great retailers, including John Lewis, Amazon, Tesco and many, many more. Simply click away – it couldn’t be easier!