Epilepsy Action fund a network of groups all dedicated to providing local support to people with epilepsy, their family, and friends & help raise awareness of epilepsy in the local community. Epilepsy Action is a working name of British Epilepsy Association. British Epilepsy Association is a registered charity (registered in England No. 234343) and a company limited by guarantee (registered in England No. 797997). Epilepsy Action is the largest member-led epilepsy organization in Britain and has an extensive network of branches and volunteers throughout the UK which provide local support to people with epilepsy, their family and friends and professional carers. Run by volunteers, branches & support groups hold regular meetings and offer a mixture of social events and informative talks and discussions. For many of us with active epilepsy, a sense of isolation and a lack of understanding can be a problem. Attending local branch meetings offers the opportunity to talk to people who understand these problems as well as a chance to help raise awareness of epilepsy in the local community. Epilepsy Action has a network of Accredited Volunteers who are often attached to our local branches who provide epilepsy awareness training. Another important role of the branches is to raise much-needed funds for Epilepsy Action. Our work is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and without that generosity, Epilepsy Action would cease to exist. Branches organize a wide variety of fundraising events, helping Epilepsy Action to continue its vital work. We often have speakers attend our meetings such as neurologists, epilepsy specialist nurses for medical advice & people to help with benefits such as Diverse Abilities, Citizens Advice Bureau. On the whole, though our meetings are very informal & whilst the members decide the topics of conversation, we make sure that new attendees are given priority as this may be the first time that they have attended a support group & are therefore wary of the strangers present. Our job is to make people feel at ease & able to talk openly about their condition, not to feel alone as the group shares & helps support by offering empathy & advice on similar problems which they have encountered.
