National Epilepsy Week

National Epilepsy Week (NEW) 2016 – 16-22 May 2016

One way to help raise awareness of epilepsy this year is by sharing your views during National Epilepsy Week.  We want your opinions to some questions we are putting on social media following the recent Scottish election.  Simply email, tweet or post your comments  on facebook and feel free to tag your newly elected MSPs.   

Have a breakfast for epilepsy with Mothers Pride

Will you host a breakfast at your workplace or with family and friends any day during National Epilepsy Week? It’s an enjoyable way to get people involved and talking about epilepsy as they tuck into Mothers Pride® at breakfast time.  All standard cut Mothers Pride® loaves carry our information and are wrapped in our charity’s purple and teal tartan design.  We also want you to take a Selfie at breakfast to share on Epilepsy Scotland’s social media.  

We hope households across Scotland will join in the Breakfast for Epilepsy campaign alongside the staff at Hovis® Glasgow bakery.  They are personally donating the proceeds of their fundraising breakfast to Epilepsy Scotland.  You can ask colleagues for a small donation for your Breakfast for Epilepsy if this is appropriate.  

Are you planning your own event?

We would like to hear from anyone planning their own event to raise awareness during this week.  Don't forget to take photos and send them to us at enquiries@epilepsyscotland.org.uk  or share them on our facebook and twitter pages.  We appreciate every one of our supporters and all your fund-raising efforts, like Andrew Gibb who is planning a memorial football match against Dukla Pumpherston in Cardenen, Fife on Sunday 15 May.  Dukla Pumpherston is a team of ex professional players and celebrities, including Tommy Sheridan.

Support for epilepsy has my vote x

Post-election, all the Members of the Scottish Parliament are being asked to give their support for people with epilepsy, starting in National Epilepsy Week.  We will post photos of Scottish politicians who say yes on our facebook and twitter pages.  Scottish MPs will also be invited to show support for National Epilepsy Week too by tweeting #epilepsygetsmyvote

National Epilepsy Week (NEW) 2015 – 17-23 May 2015

Because National Epilepsy Week 2015 had no set theme, we invited people to share how they planned to raise awareness of epilepsy.  Several of our supporters organised a range of activities that week, from the Funky Nats golf tournament at Wishaw Golf Club on Sunday 24 May, to a teenager seeing her letter printed about her epilepsy experiences in the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser.   
 

Getting our politicians involved

MSPs did their bit by taking part in a group photo to promote new SIGN guidance on diagnosing and managing epilepsy in adults.  They and their staff enjoyed some free epilepsy awareness taster sessions during National Epilepsy Week.  Parliamentarians were encouraged to vow to do something for epilepsy over the next 12 months, including getting involved in  awareness-raising events.  Several MSPs highlighted epilepsy by sending a press release to their local media and posting photos supporting National Epilepsy Week (NEW) activities on social media.  Many NEW activities in the Scottish Parliament were offered by the Epilepsy Consortium Scotland (ECS) of which Epilepsy Scotland is a member.  During this special week the World Health Organisation agreed a new resolution for national epilepsy action plans by member states.  Many MSPs supported this resolution.

And here's what we did previously for National Epilepsy Week .....

National Epilepsy Week 2014 - 'Transforming Lives'

The theme of last year's awareness raising week was about transforming lives.  We were interested to learn how epilepsy made a difference to your life or that of your family and friends.   Several supporters had activities lined up, all to raise awareness about epilepsy. 

We were at the Scottish Parliament again with a 2 day exhibition (20-21 May) by the Epilepsy Consortium Scotland, of which we are members.  This culminated in a photo call (pictured) of 35 Members of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 21 May showing their support for epilepsy.  In total 82 MSPs pledged their support by signing up to the Consortium's call for better epilepsy care. 

An epilepsy debate at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 20 May focused on tackling the stigma of epilepsy through education. 

In addition to our political activities, we asked our supporters during National Epilepsy Week about key issues they would like us to pursue in the following year, ie anything that would transform the lives of people affected by epilepsy. 
 

National Epilepsy Week 2013 - 'The many faces of epilepsy'

2013 was a busy time, we managed to highlight the uniqueness of epilepsy, by focusing on the different levels of support and services available to those with epilepsy in Scotland.  Many of you got involved to raise awareness about epilepsy.  We couldn't do this without your support.

To raise awareness among our politicians, we were at the Scottish Parliament with an exhibition by the Epilepsy Consortium Scotland, which we are members of.  We also arranged a photocall of Members of the Scottish Parliament showing their support for epilepsy, followed by an epilepsy debate at the Scottish Parliament.  

We also increased our social media presence during that week and managed to reach out to our over 6,000 supporters on facebook and twitter with daily posts and polls.    

National Epilepsy Week 2012 

2012 saw us running a poster competition for schools, and pupils from Oakgrove Primary School in Glasgow came out tops. We also asked you to test your epilepsy knowledge by taking part in our quiz. We invited our politicians to show their support and they did.  We asked you to get involved in fun ways, and many of you organised fundraising and awareness raising events.  Thank you to everyone who got involved!