Saul Anthony, stalwart of the Carmarthen Branch of Epilepsy Action, has won a national award in recognition of his work for the UK’s largest member-led epilepsy charity.
The Epilepsy Action Branch Member of the Year Award will be presented to Saul by Ian Walker, an Epilepsy Action trustee, at the branch meeting on Wednesday 27 April at 7.00pm, at The English Baptist Church, Lammas Street, Carmarthen.
Saul, a dedicated member of the Carmarthen Branch, won the award for being a positive role model to other branch members. Despite having epilepsy and learning disabilities, he is a happy and engaging person, and is a positive role model to other branch members.
Ann Sivapatham, Epilepsy Action’s manager for Wales, said: “Saul is very positive about his life. He is always willing to lend a hand at events and is the comedian of the branch. He has the ability to make people laugh and brings a certain amount of merriment to branch meetings.
“He never misses an event that the branch is organising. He helped organise a bag packing session in Marks and Spencer in Carmarthen. The branch raised over £500 at this event. He stayed all day and did not complain. His role within the branch is that of a welcoming person to new members. He soon puts new people at ease and is very warm and funny. He is an inspiration because, in spite of his difficulties, he still gets on with life and does not let anything get in the way of achieving what he wants.”
Saul Anthony said: “2011 is turning out to be a very good year for me. The award is a big surprise as I had no idea I'd been put forward. I've got a new job after over a year out of work and Stoke City have reached the FA Cup Final.”
The Carmarthen Branch meetings are open to anyone with an interest in epilepsy. There are opportunities to access detailed information about living with the condition and to learn how to get involved in raising epilepsy awareness in the area.
The branch meets on the last Wednesday of the month from 7.00pm until 9.00pm at The English Baptist Church, Lammas Street, Carmarthen.
If you are interested in joining the branch, please contact Karl on 01267 237 239.
Epilepsy Action is a registered charity which has a network of branches throughout the UK. Last year the organisation directly helped over 845,000 people through its wide range of services, including its Epilepsy Helpline and advice and information centre.