South Winchester Golf Club presented a cheque for over £13,000 to national charity Epilepsy Action on Saturday 2 July. MP for Winchester Steve Brine presented the cheque to Mark McDaid, local services manager for the south west at Epilepsy Action, on behalf of the golf club.
The club has been fundraising to support the charity’s work in Winchester throughout 2010. Both the men’s and women’s captains, Robert Wilson and Mary Lou Viljoen, have family members who have been affected by epilepsy. Epilepsy Action was therefore chosen as the club’s charity of the year.
The funds raised at the golf club have meant that Epilepsy Action has been able to set up a local branch in Winchester. The branch has already supplied every family with a child with epilepsy in Winchester an information pack and hosted a family day, helping 50 families in the area. The branch also ran a siblings day on Saturday 2 July and the Epilepsy Action Roadshow will visit Winchester on Wednesday 24 August.
Mark McDaid, local services manager for the south west at Epilepsy Action, said: “We are delighted to accept this very generous donation from South Winchester Golf Club. The money raised at the club has gone directly back into helping support people with epilepsy in Winchester. We would not have been able to set up a branch in this area, or hold events to support people with epilepsy, without the support of the club. The two captains, Robert and Mary Lou, have been particularly fantastic and I’d like to say a big thank you to them for their efforts. People with epilepsy in Winchester can access the support they need locally as a direct result of this partnership.”
Steve Brine, MP for Winchester, said: “I am overwhelmed at the amount that South Winchester Golf Club has raised for Epilepsy Action. I know the group work so hard locally, and people with epilepsy, which is far more common than many imagine, will be delighted at the generosity of club members.”
For more information about Epilepsy Action’s work in the Winchester area, contact Mark McDaid on 01291 621 478 or email mmcdaid@epilepsy.org.uk
Epilepsy Action branches offer the opportunity for people to share their experiences of living with epilepsy and also raise awareness of the condition in the local community. Branch events include speaking evenings, fundraising and social activities.
Epilepsy affects one in every 131 people in the UK alone and 75 people are diagnosed with the condition every day. Last year Epilepsy Action directly helped over 845,000 people through a range of services, including its Epilepsy Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050, branch network, specialist nurse scheme and award-winning website, www.epilepsy.org.uk