THE lives of scores of epilepsy sufferers is set to improve, after a generous donation to a Lingfield charity.
The Freemasons Grand Charity, a grant-making charity dedicated to supporting people in need, has helped St Piers Lane-based Young Epilepsy by donating £50,000 towards its Epilepsy Education for Schools programme.
The programme provides training to staff and students to improve the lives of young people living with epilepsy, working to bring epilepsy into the open and pave the way for teachers to start a dialogue with pupils, reducing bullying and stigma.
Michael Kirilloff, a trustee at Young Epilepsy, said: "Young people with epilepsy are often treated differently from their peers at school.
"For example they may be routinely excluded from classes, trips and activities due to misguided attempts to protect them, leading to them missing vital parts of their education.
"All of this affects their confidence, self esteem and learning potential, and frequently leads to underachievement."
He added that schools do not receive any formal training to help children with epilepsy.
One child in every primary school and five in every secondary school is diagnosed with epilepsy, and half of these children are thought to underachieve at school.
Most epilepsy drugs have side effects which can affect mood, concentration, learning and memory, and seizures can cause fatigue and mean children often miss out on classes.
These effects can make educational attainment challenging without the right support, which is why the charity launched its national programme to help schools.
Mr Kirilloff added: "Schools are often unaware that these young people are underachieving, falling through the gaps and having to cope with complex problems alone.
"Teachers strive to do their best for all children in their care and we are committed to providing them with the tools and resources that will enable them to fully understand the learning needs of pupils with epilepsy."
The Freemasons' donation will be used to target around 80 schools and 1,000 teachers later this year.
Eric Stuart-Bamford, provincial grand master of Surrey Freemasons, said: "Working with the wider school community, Young Epilepsy is challenging many of the long-held myths and stigma associated with the condition by providing teachers and peers with the knowledge and tools they need to support young people in schools.
"We are proud to fund this programme and hope that it will assist many children to move on with their education."
