Purple Day 2018

Monday 26^th March is International Epilepsy awareness day and the Meath Epilepsy Charity are painting the town of Godalming purple for their awareness campaign!

Epilepsy is of course a hidden condition, one cannot see it and yet the effects of epilepsy can change lives instantly, without warning and can present seemingly unclimbable barriers. Diagnoses of epilepsy can be a confusing, protracted and scary process and sadly to this day Epilepsy is often misunderstood and even stigmatised. However this forthcoming awareness campaign from the Meath Epilepsy Charity shines light on the condition and aims to increase the understanding of epilepsy within the local community.

The Meath is a small local charity based in Godalming which supports people with complex epilepsy and associated disabilities to live life as independently as possible. While the charity works hard to deliver the very best of care to its 80 residents and day clients who live with severe epilepsy and associated disabilities, the Meath are also keen to raise the profile of Epilepsy as a whole. Epilepsy affects approximately 1 in 100 people at some point during their life, that’s roughly the same statistic as type 2 diabetes and yet the team of dedicated medical and support staff together with volunteers, residents and their families have long felt that epilepsy is underrepresented in the media and consequently there is much work to be done to improve awareness of the condition.

The Meath are therefore delighted to be painting the town purple for Purple Day! Kick-starting the campaign are the team at Technivents who will be projecting a large scale animation of a rotating brain directly on to  the façade of the Meath’s historic main house- this projection will be live streamed onto the Meath’s YouTube channel. Meath staff, residents and volunteers are also holding a Purple Mufti Day during the day and look forward to watching the projection in the evening of Purple Day.

Around the town Lightscapes ltd who are kind supporters of the Meath are lighting up various buildings and public spaces purple. Changing Perceptions, the Meath’s wonderfully quirky social enterprise café and furniture up-cycling shop (133 High Street, Godalming) will be lit up purple and some tasty homemade purple cupcakes will be on sale for the occasion to add to their usual offerings of speciality teas, wonderful coffee, delicious cakes, fresh soups and toasties. Godalming’s landmark building the Pepperpot will also be going purple in support of epilepsy along with Lloyds Bank Godalming and Godalming United Reformed Church. The Meath have received fantastic support from Godalming Town Council, Lloyds Bank Godalming, The United Reformed Church, Lightscapes ltd and Technivents, as always the small local charity is extremely grateful for the kind help and support they have received from local organisations.

 

Please look out for the Meath’s Purple Posts on social media or visit www.meath.org.uk to discover more about this dynamic specialist epilepsy charity that’s at the very heart of the Godalming community.

 

 

Pictured above, some of the team at Changing Perceptions Café, 133 High Street Godalming.