This year some of our supporters have taken
on exceptional challenges to raise much-needed
funds for research. Read about the different
ways that our supporters are fundraising here,
and if you would like to get involved with
something similar, or you have your own idea
-let us know!
World Record attempt in Everest to support
Epilepsy Research UK
Image: Rik and Phil Waind in training
In March, a group of charity supporters
are trekking to Kala Patthar, 5,545 metres
(18,192 ft) below Mt Everest on the Nepalese
side, en route to Base Camp, to raise money
and awareness for Epilepsy Research UK.
The Team are supporting the charity in memory
of Jean Waind, who sadly passed away from
SUDEP in January 2009.
The Prayer Flag Team are: Rik Waind, Phil
Waind, John Waind, David Waind, Simon Waind Paul
Bowmer, Chris Bowmer, Jonny Oliver, Chris
Oliver, Adam Kelly, Stu Richardson, Fred
Arden, Dan Greaves.
Rik Waind, son of the late Jean Waind says,
"We are in contact with the Guinness
Book of Records and our aim is to establish
a world record for the longest string of
prayer flags! Please join us in our world
record attempt by sponsoring one or more
prayer flags. Every flag you sponsor will
be hung from the summit of Kala Patthar
over looking Everest, the highest place
in the world. This is a unique opportunity
for you to participate in a world record
attempt, to support Epilepsy Research UK
in bringing hope to over 450,000 epilepsy
suffers in the UK, to have your own prayer
flag[s] hoisted to the heavens in this truly
magical place and for your thoughts and
prayers to be carried on the wind to promote
peace, harmony and happiness in this troubled
world.
We suggest a donation of £5 per prayer
flag, and if you confirm with your donation
we will transfer any personal messages you
would like onto your flag. THE MORE YOU
DONATE, THE MORE FLAGS YOU WILL SPONSOR
SO FEEL FREE TO SPONSOR AS MANY FLAGS AS
YOU LIKE. We intend to provide all donors
with a digital image of the prayer flag
string flying on the summit of Kala Patthar."
All the team members are paying in full for the trek themselves and shall be providing the flags to ensure that Epilepsy Research UK receives 100% of the donations. You can sponsor a prayer flag by visiting their Virgin Money Giving Page here:
Check back soon to see how they got on, and to see photos from the trip!
Roy & Lesley Bircher - Barn Dance
and Annual Charity Ball
"In
late August I decided to hold a barn dance
in aid of Epilepsy Research UK; our daughter
Heather had just suffered another seizure.
She has mild epilepsy and with medication
leads a perfectly normal lifestyle, but
every now and then a seizure occurs which
upsets the equilibrium of her family life.
She is a busy mother with a husband and
3 growing children.
My husband and I have raised monies for
charities in the past, but this time it
was to be for this relatively low profile
charity, which means so much to us personally.
We booked a barn dance band, a venue,
and then went to France for a month. We
returned at the end of September to realise
that only 2 people had signed up for the
event! I panicked and wanted to cancel
but all our fantastic family and friends
rallied and within 3 weeks the event was
well and truly 'on'. As it was Halloween,
some of the guests came in ghoulish fancy
dress, others in the charity's green colour.
We asked each couple to bring a raffle
prize, thus enabling us to raise an unexpected
£900!
In November we held our annual charity
Ball with some friends, and half of the
proceeds went to ERUK. The grand total
raised for both events was £2,035.
A little bonus to it all was that our
daughter was seated on the same table
at the Ball as a researcher for ERUK,
making the raising of the monies very
real for both of them."
Hannah Phizacklea - Land's End to John
O'Groats Cycle Ride
"It
all started last summer when a friend talked
me into doing a 50 mile charity bike ride
with her. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was
a child and at the point didn't even have
a bike! But I went ahead and did it and really
enjoyed it.
That gave me the inspiration to cycle
from Lands End to John O' Groats!
My uncle has suffered from epilepsy
all his life. By doing this cycle ride
I wanted to be able to help people like
him and raise awareness about epilepsy.
I don't think people really understand
it - it can happen to anyone.
The training was hard - going out on
my own, doing 60 miles and often coming
back cold and wet. The fund raising was
hard too, but I couldn't believe how supportive
everyone was. I even had a couple of people
who took it upon themselves to raise money
for me, getting their friends to sponsor
me and writing to companies. I did the
cycle in May over twelve days, returning
the day before my 35th birthday. I did
the trip with Discover Adventure. It was
brilliantly organised and I had a fantastic
time. Thirteen of us did it, none of whom
I had met before. We all got on well and
had many laughs along the way. It was
a wonderful way to see the country. Scotland
was amazing - cycling on single track
roads between lochs and mountains.
I feel I have achieved what I set out
to do, the ride was a great fun, extremely
rewarding and I raised £4,320. I
would recommend this experience to anyone."
Rob Dunnett - Rad am Ring. August 2009
"The
"Rad am Ring" bike race is a 24
hour cycle challenge taking place at the
Nurburgring race track in Germany. Rob says,
"It was a lot of fun, if excruciatingly
painful at moments! The course was, in fact,
much hillier than I'd imagined, with huge
descents followed by small climbs for the
first 10km, then a 4km climb that was pretty
hard work and lots of people got off to
walk up this.
The first day was very sunny and hot and
the uphills were pretty tough in the sunshine.
Riding through the night though was quite
odd, as you had to hurtle down the hills
in pitch darkness (my co-rider recorded
89kph (56mph) on the speed gun down the
steepest section) with only your night vision
and the red rear bike lights of the other
riders to tell you where the course was.
I did have one moment that I thought I would
come off which was also quite scary (my
bike started to wobble pretty badly going
down a hill at high speed whilst I was clipped
into the pedals...).
We had a good time and I'd be tempted to do it again - but perhaps would start my training earlier next year!"
Rob, with fellow cyclists Rob and Nick raised over £1300 for Epilepsy Research UK.
Garrey Haase - Michael James Opticians.
Charity of the Year 2009
"We
originally chose Epilepsy Research UK because
one of our patients lost her son to epilepsy.
We felt that as a professional medical team
we could help to raise awareness of this
condition.
Throughout 2009 we have had three open
days to date, to raise money for the charity,
with another planned before the end of
the year in October."
Two of the staff are also taking part in the Great North Run to boost the fundraising total.
The fundraising comes to an end in January
2010, when we will update you here with
the final figure.
Ian Mulheirn - Mongol Rally. July 2009
"Ross
and I were delighted to make it to Ulan
Bator. Whatever we expected when we left
London on 18 July, the whole trip was a
challenge in all sorts of ways and there
were at least five occasions when I thought
our attempt had failed. During the final
week, driving across western Mongolia in
a clapped-out car was a test of mental and
physical endurance as much as anything.
By the end we really felt we'd earned all
your generous sponsorship!
The car sounded more like a biplane by
the time it rolled - and we very nearly
had to push it - over the finishing line
at 5pm on 15 August in downtown Ulan Bator
- 8,031 miles from my house in London.
We'd lost 5 litres of oil in 20 hours
through a gearbox held together with chewing-gum,
the clutch was wearing out, the fuel pump
wired together, and the exhaust pipe missing.
But what would be considered a write-off
in the UK is an asset in Mongolia. We're
assured that the car will be overhauled
and will run for many years to come to
help public services in Mongolia - perhaps
as an ambulance in one of the far-flung
aimags (districts).
All of the other teams we met encountered
problems: one team was running with vodka
for break fluid by the end, and another
skoda team wrecked their gear box as we
did, and limped the final 1200km in only
3rd and 5th gears (given the roads I just
don't know how they managed that). Many
teams didn't make it to the finish line
at all.
Ross and Ian have to date raised over
£1,408.97 for the David Scourse
Memorial Fund at Epilepsy Research UK.
Ian Rice - Iceland Trek. August 2009
"It
was a fantastic experience and certainly
had its challenges over the seven days.
We walked on average about 7 hours a day
over a variety of hilly terrain including
glaciers, grass and volcanic rock before
setting up camp, usually at about 500m above
sea level. Iceland has truly spectacular
scenery if almost surreal with its black
volcanic landscape and an almost complete
lack of any form of vegetation. It is very
clean; so much so that I was able to refill
my water bottle from streams as I trekked.
The volcanic island has geothermic springs
which can be seen in many places bubbling
to the surface and in one campsite we were
able to bathe in them. A beautiful and relaxing
end to a day of trekking. The group dealt
with an amazing variety of weather from
beautiful sunshine, to regular rain and
to freezing blizzard conditions with 90mph
gusts of wind 1000m up in the hills.
It was a wonderful experience and I am
so glad that I have been able to raise over
£5,000 with gift aid for the charity. I
hope that this continues to grow over the
next couple of months."
Robert Kelley - Coast to Coast Cycle
Ride. May 2009
In this picture: Robert Kelley, Ken McAlpine,
Barry McAlpine, Steve Calvert, Lee Calvert,
Steven Homes, Ian Hughes, Paul Baxter, Michael
Ward after having completed the Coast to
Coast Cycle Ride from Whitehaven to Sunderland,
in May 2009. They raised £1,567 for epilepsy
research.
John O'Neill, Go Ape Outdoor Challenge
John and Michelle O'Neill organised a sponsored
assault course at their local 'Go Ape' centre,
to raise funds for Epilepsy Research UK.
Along with various supermarket collections
and raffles, they have raised a total of
£1,303.47 in memory of their niece,
Claire O'Neill.
These are just some examples of how our
supporters are helping us to fund ever more
research into the causes and treatment of
epilepsy. Every gesture of support, big
or small, is greatly appreciated and we
would like to thank everyone who chooses
to support Epilepsy Research UK.
You can donate
now by debit / credit card
To see other ways in which you can support
us, please click
here