20th Anniversary Gala Ball

Over 150 people joined Epilepsy Research UK as we hosted our inaugural Gala Ball on 15 October 2011 to mark the 20th anniversary of the charity. Taking place at The Grange St Paul's Hotel in the heart of London, guests enjoyed a memorable evening of champagne, food, music and dancing, with live music provided from the fabulous Sarah Ellen Hughes Band.

We were lucky to have professional Auctioneer Michael Grist from Sotheby's who did a fantastic job! Auction prizes on the evening included a named appearance in an Ian Rankin novel, a visit to the McLaren Technology Centre, a Tour de France Experience and an Internship at an award-winning Hedge Fund. We also had many other amazing prizes and experiences in the Silent Auction and Test Tube Tombola.

The event was a tremendous success and we hope everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended for their support and generosity on the evening; everyone who so generously donated prizes; Michael Grist for donating his time and expertise; Steve Back for the photos, and our events committee - Nick Christian, John and Nancy Bettelley, Fiona Evans, Paul Newman, Sandy Wackett and Rik Waind - for their help in organising this event. Also special thanks to Tim Coxon, David Moran and Mark and Claire Phillips for their support.

We're delighted to have raised a fantastic £65,000 for the charity.

George Moss' Atacama Crossing

Epilepsy Research UK supporter, George Moss, has recently returned from the Atacama Crossing, raising just under £8,000 (with Gift Aid) in support of our work. George tells his story here.

"For many years I had wondered what it would take to do an ultramarathon. A race in conditions so extreme that your training is always going to leave you short; where mental toughness would be critical to finishing, and which was so far out of most people's comfort zone, that I would, I hoped, be able to raise a substantial sum for a cause close to my heart. In September 2010, I took the plunge and signed up for the Atacama Crossing.

This is a 250km race over 7 days across the Atacama desert in Chile, the driest desert on Earth and where Nasa test their space vehicles. Essentially, I would be completing a marathon on each of the first four days and then nailing an almost double marathon on day 5. The race is not only in 40+ degree heat but also at over 3,000m of altitude! Additionally, I would be carrying all of my equipment and food for the week on my back (c.10kg). It was clearly going to be a challenge.

My training involved bikram yoga (for heat acclimatisation), altitude gym training and many weekends of running 20 miles back-to-back over hills, with a heavy pack. My life became very focused for a few months, balanced between work and training, with almost no other distractions.

Flying out to Chile, I felt confident but also a little apprehensive, as I didn't know quite what to expect. The race went well, covering a brutal range of terrain, including packed sand, deep sand, mud, grass, salt flats, salt crusts, shale and much else across the desert and over mountains. The first four marathon days broadly went well, keeping a reasonable pace fuelled by a steady stream of carbo/protein drink, electrolytes and nuts (the best calorie / gram food). Day 3 was my low point though when I pulled a thigh muscle and had to have heavy strapping. Walking was painful and I was in pieces at points, but I managed to do another 30km and finish that day - just.

My thigh held up for the next day and then it was into the longest day. This 75km day was a journey into the complete unknown as I had never run more than 45km in a day before. That said, it was pretty much all that stood between me and the end and I had not gone through four marathons to fail at this point! After the first 40km, I still felt pretty good, but by the end of 15hrs and 75km, I was running on nothing, my legs were stiff and cramped and my face crusted with salt. However, I finished at a few minutes to midnight, running across a clear desert with the most beautiful starry sky overhead. Some people took nearly 30hrs and finished the following day!

With 240km behind me, we had a short run on day 7 into San Pedro de Atacama to be met by the crowds. It was an amazing feeling and one that will always live with me. Beer, pizza and a shower have never tasted so sweet.

The reason I did this race though was to try to raise a substantial sum for Epilepsy Research UK. My motivation for doing so stems from the fact my brother has had epilepsy since the age of 11. I have watched how it has affected him, seeming insurmountable at times during his teenage years. Yet now, aged 29, he has succeeded in so many ways that seemed unreachable once and he lives a happy, successful and independent life. That said, he still has epilepsy and the £8,000 I have raised will, I hope, go towards developing better drugs to improve the lives of him and others with the condition."

Coffee Morning in memory of Lee Johnson

Shelley Wilson recently organised a Sunday morning coffee and cake event at her house in Solihull, West Midlands. The event was organised in memory of Shelley's cousin, Lee Johnson, 24, who passed away on Sunday 12 December 2010. Shelley says, 'It was standing room only as 55 people took part. Steaming mugs of coffee, a HUGE assortment of cakes and stalls selling handmade cards and jewellery kept everyone entertained and we managed to raise over £480 for Epilepsy Research UK with more still to come in. Despite the tragic circumstances we are all really pleased with the support from our friends, colleagues and neighbours in being able to raise such an amazing sum.'

Lee's family are also attending the various ERUK running events around the country in his memory and are busy organising charity luncheons and dinner dances.

Coast 2 Coast Bike Ride

Rob Kelley and work colleagues recently cycled the Coast 2 Coast Bike Ride, from Whitehaven to Sunderland, for the second year running in support of our work.

Rob says, "As I have a beautiful six- year-old granddaughter who suffers from epilepsy these were ideal opportunities to fundraise for research into this very debilitating condition.

The first time we cycled the route the weather was very hot and a few of the lads suffered from sunburn. We managed to raise £1,567 last year. This year we had strong winds and rain, which made the mountain conditions very difficult to negotiate. We were very glad of our overnight stops in Greystokes and Nenthead, where we could have a well earned hot shower and a good meal. This year we raised £1,166 for epilepsy research.

Unless you have a loved one who suffers from epilepsy, you don't really understand what they and their families have to cope with; so we hope we can contribute just a little to help towards finding a cure."

About Her - would you like to be more involved?

What About Media are making an independent feature film called About Her. You can read more about the film here.

They are generously donating a percentage of the profits to epilepsy charities, of which Epilepsy Research UK is one.

The film is about to go into production and they are looking for some further investment. If you would be interested in investing in their film, please contact Richard Wynn, MD of What About Media direct, quoting Epilepsy Research UK, and he will be able to talk through with you the packages available and the benefits that you will receive. Investments can begin from as little as £250.00, so contact Richard at richard@whataboutmedia.com.

Andrew Martin's John O'Groats to Lands End Cycle Ride

This 8 day challenge saw Andrew Martin and Richie head off from John O'Groats. This is an account of their trip.

Strong head and cross winds with a little rain, it was miserable at the start and we were glad to get off to warm up! The first big hill saw both of us making it up Berridale hill on the way to Muir O Ord. A big thank you to Nikki (Richies wife), Shaun Jones and Neil Travis for seeing us of - they were well wrapped up in coats and woolly hats, as it was freezing.

Another big hill on day 2 from Muir O Ord and then fast descent down to loch Ness - just on the edge of our comfort zone. Lovely ride alongside the Loch down to Fort Augustus, travelled on to the eight mile climb at Glencoe, views were stunning. 25 miles later, 5 punctures, 4 hours and bitten to death by Scottish midges (feasting on English meat) we arrived at Cranlarich very late and very tired!

Day 4 saw us crossing the border at approx 0930 and onto the Lake District. Got lost in Penrith and then took 2 hours to climb Shap, very windy and lovely views at 1400 ft, only took 30 minutes to get down. Then onto Kendal, Lancaster and Preston (which was a navigational nightmare, there is a reason we are engineers and not navigators!!)

Travelling through to Ludlow, the sun was out and the wind had dropped to a slight headwind. We managed to stay off the busy roads and headed towards Monmouth. One killer hill later and a hair raising, adrenalin pumping downhill and we were there. Monmouth was a bustling lively town with plenty to see, next the Wye Valley. Lots of hills, none steep and a beautiful Tintern Abbey, this was an enjoyable part of the trip. Over the Severn bridge and on to Bridgwater.

The next day took us through Someset, Dorset and Cornwall, reaching 48mph - the highest speed of the trip - but unfortunately straight down……These hills were the hardest of the whole trip, averaging about 7-8 miles an hour through Exmoor. The steepest hill was like cycling over a cliff, only to be followed by a longer but not quite so steep (approx 33%) hill that beat us both and the last third was definitely not on the saddle. After that it was up and down, up and down, reaching our destination and several well earned beers in the early evening. Probably the most challenging day (but good) of the whole trip with relentless hills and bloody caravans! Weather was great.

The final day we had good weather, with a side/tail wind for the final sprint to Lands End, covering 85 miles in 6 hours. Busy A roads all the way, St Michael's Mount at Penzance equalled the most stunning scenery of the trip. We joined up with Andrew's son Paul and his friend Martin who wanted to do the last bit to Lands End with us.

A brilliant welcome from friends and family at Lands End, we arrived 908 miles and 60 hours in the saddle at 2pm. After some photos and hugs, we had a couple of bottles of champagne to celebrate. Lands End was very busy and hot, so we stayed for a couple of hours and enjoyed the moment before heading back to Andrew's house for a well earned rest and meal.

A big thank you to all those who have supported us, we have raised a little over £2000 and met several people on the way down who have benefited from the charity's work.

Simon Watson and Nigel Wilson cycle from London to Paris for Epilepsy Research UK

Simon Watson recounts memories of the London to Paris Cycle Ride.

"We set off in groups on our way to Dover, with Coquelles, near Calais, our day one destination. The pace was quick as adrenalin pushed us on out of London and into the rolling countryside of Kent. During my three months and 1,600 miles of training I had suffered only one puncture which obviously meant that I was due another one. Sure enough with just two hours and about 30 miles gone I was descending a hill, hit a pothole and burst the front inner tube. Fortunately after a quick change of tube we were on our way again.

Each day was split into legs separated by food stops. Each morning and afternoon there were water stops with as many bananas and muesli bars as we could manage to eat, and at lunch time the caterers were on hand to provide us with wonderful lunches of hot and cold pasta, salad, fruit, pork pies, cheese, bread, cold meats and, Nigel's favourite, sausage rolls.

The route on day one included a number of short sharp climbs; on day two the climbs were longer but less steep and predominantly on quiet country roads. On day three the roads were less undulating and there were many military cemeteries en-route as we cycled down poppy lined roads where the front line would have been nearly a century ago. We also had a wonderful view of the river Somme and passed through many deserted French villages over a variety of terrains, including very rough cobbles in one village! Luckily we had perfect weather for cycling the whole 4 days.

The final day was to be the least demanding in terms of physical exertion, and so we made good time. We stopped in the outskirts of Paris for coffee and then were led on our bikes to the Arc de Triomphe, down the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower, where we were met by the family. After many photos and much back slapping we made our way to the hotel (by bike of course), where we were treated to a glass of Champagne and the best hotel we'd stayed in all week, the Pullman Rive Gauche. A celebratory meal was laid on by the organisers, Discover Adventure, and we then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the delights of Paris!

Total mileage cycled is unknown but it is somewhere between 305 and 317 miles over the four days. But regardless of distance covered we had a fantastic time and it's an experience we'll remember for years to come. Or until we decide on our next challenge at least!

That leaves us one thing to say and that is thank you very much for your sponsorship. Between us we have raised in the region of £4,000 for Epilepsy Research UK. We couldn't have done it without your support!"

Team Phoebe - Lebanon Mountain Trail

David Moran, Bassam Haidar, Kate Biard and Brian and Sylvie Fredrick walked almost half of the Lebanon Mountain Trail in April 2010, to raise money for Epilepsy Research UK.

David says, 'The trek was an amazing experience - tough at times, but pretty much always enjoyable. Living conditions were quite primitive in the villages that we stayed in - especially the bathroom facilities - but the people were wonderfully hospitable and the food was great....too great! Thank God we were walking every day, otherwise we would have put lots of weight on!

The trek is rated as tough, with up to 22km per day and elevation changes of up to 1,500m up and down in a day. Given that our team are all novices, we didn't expect it to be easy, but we were determined. I plan to complete the second half of the trail at a later date. You can learn more about the trek here.

Thank you to all the donors, we have achieved the target, which is great news, and with Gift Aid have raised just over £10,000. The funds will be well received at Epilepsy Research UK. We are now thinking about the next challenge!'

The team decided to undertake this challenge for David's daughter, Phoebe Phu. David continues, 'She is nine years old now, but probably wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the research into the causes of epilepsy and the development of drugs to treat it. The wonderful work carried out by Epilepsy Research UK and Great Ormond Street Hospital have made a huge impact to many of the sufferers of this condition, and I in turn would like to raise as much money as I can to help them continue - there is much still to be done.'

All of the costs of the trip were met by the individual team members, meaning that all donations were received directly by Epilepsy Research UK.

John O'Groats to Lands End Cycle

In June Dave Horner, Adam Humphreys and Sean Whiting took part in an organised ride from John O'Groats to Lands End (a distance of just over 1000 miles), which took place over nine days. The ride was Dave's idea, after he spotted 'Ride Across Britain' advertised in the national press. Having little cycling experience to date, he persuaded his brother-in-law, Adam, and a friend, Sean, to join in, so as to form a relay team. They each cycled an average of between 50 and 60 miles per day. For more details of the ride, please click here.

Dave's youngest son, Archie, suffers from a severe form of epilepsy and has up to 20 seizures per day. These seizures have significantly affected both his physical and mental development, and so far drug treatments have had little positive effect. Dave's middle son, Charlie, also suffers from epilepsy, although his seizures are less frequent. Due to the impact this condition has on his family's day to day life, they decided upon Epilepsy Research UK as their chosen charity for the ride, and they raised just under £5,000.

Dave says 'The ride was an amazing experience, and a great way to see the diverse countryside that the UK has to offer. After a rather wet and windy start in John O'Groats, the weather soon picked up and the sun shone for most of the rest of the trip!'

London to Paris Cycle Ride

Steph Scott from Aberdeen decided in January to sign up for the London to Paris cycle challenge. Not being much of a cyclist it took 20 weeks of training to get to the right level of fitness, and in doing so she clocked up over 1300 miles during the worst winter and spring in the northeast of Scotland. But on 5th May she set off from Blackheath Common, with a small group of 14 others, as part of Discover Adventures open challenge, to cycle the 317 miles to Paris.

Steph suffers from non epileptic seizures caused by flashing and bright lights. Ironically, bicycle headlights are one of her main triggers, and unfortunately Steph did have a seizure in Paris and was unable to cycle the last mile of the trip. This highlights why she chose to support Epilepsy Research UK. She has raised over £2,000.

UPDATE ON EVEREST WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

In March a group of charity supporters led by John, Rik and Phil Waind planned to trek to Everest Base Camp, to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy Research UK. Unfortunately, they weren't able to go to Everest Base Camp, but had to switch to Annapurna instead.

John says, "It was initially disappointing to have to switch the trek to Annapurna but it possibly worked out for the best. Annapuna base Camp is located in the Annapurna Sanctuary which is a natural amphitheatre surrounded by huge Himalayan peaks. I did the Everest Base Camp trek six years ago and in my opinion the scenery on the Annapurna trek is more varied and the mountain views are just as dramatic. It is a fantastic trek which I would recommend to anybody wanting to experience the Himalayas".

En route, their plan was to establish a world record for the World's Longest String of Prayer flags and I'm delighted to say that they had a continuous string a kilometer in length!! They are applying to the Guinness Book of Records for a new world record!!

You can see more photos of the trip on our facebook page.

They have raised over £8,500 for the Jean Waind Memorial Fund, with monies still coming in.

Fiona Wackett Memorial Fund

Sophie Obermajer-Navratil, 26, lost her close friend Fiona Wackett to epilepsy in August 2008 and has been fundraising tirelessly for Epilepsy Research UK ever since.

Fundraisers spearheaded by Sophie and friends and family have included the creation of Fi's own cocktail Heaven Sent in November 2008 at the Lavish Lounge in Weybridge, and a 5K run in Epsom.

In August 2009 Sophie organised a charity ball at Mercedes-Benz World, in Weybridge, which was attended by 165 supporters. They were treated to a welcoming drink of Heaven Sent, a four course meal with live entertainment, an auction, tombola and a wishing tree.

Sophie said: "It was a fantastic night for all the family and friends and we were amazed by the generosity of the communities and businesses including Lavish Lounge, Mercedes Benz, Gordons School and many more within Surrey for their generous donations of prizes."

Supporters have also run the London Marathon, Toronto Marathon, Great North Run, Bupa London 10,000 and the British 10K London Run raising significant amounts for Epilepsy Research UK.

Fi was living in Addlestone, with her partner of seven years, William Burke, when she died aged 27 following an epileptic seizure. Born in Chobham, she attended Priors Field School and went on to Southampton University to study fine art and antiques. After graduating she went on to work with her parents in their jewellery shop Boshers, in High Street, Chobham.

Sophie has worked tirelessly over the year, and hasn't worked for the last five months as she concentrates on fund-raising and creating awareness for such an "untalked about disease." She even lobbied parliament with the charity.

She added: "I have written to Weybridge and Runnymede MP, Philip Hammond, and I am hoping to continue this work for good and eventually hope to work alongside schools, colleges and councils to educate children and adults about epilepsy."

Donations to Fi's memorial fund can be made at www.justgiving/fionasfriends or here on Epilepsy Research UK's website.

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:

www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/prayerflag

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.

Their fundraising came to an end in January 2010, raising £1,220.45 for Epilepsy Research UK.

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.

To see other ways in which you can support us, please
click here

Epilepsy Research UK, PO Box 3004, London W4 4XT Tel: (+44) (0) 20 8995 4781 • Fax: (+44) (0) 870 838 1069 Registered Charity No. 1100394