Epilepsy Action - It's Doodle Time Again, UK

Main Category: Epilepsy
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 09 Feb 2006 - 7:00 PDT

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The UK's doodlers are being urged to join celebrities like Rula Lenska, Ricky Gervais, and Helen Mirren by putting pen to paper for the third National Doodle Day on March 3.

The event, which grows bigger each year, raises vital funds for Epilepsy Action and The Neurofibromatosis Association.

This year's theme 'Puzzles, Patterns, Portraits, Pets, Passions and Places', reflects the huge diversity of subjects doodled day in and day out all over the country. Now keen scribblers have the chance to gain recognition for their efforts.

Individuals can send their doodles to a special Freepost address at just £1 per entry. Judging will be carried out by actor and author Maureen Lipman, the Doodle Day patron, and certificates will be awarded in various age categories. All winners will have their work displayed in the Hall of Fame on the National Doodle Day website.

A separate competition open to schools gives pupils and teachers the chance to win an interactive white board for their school. Businesses, brownie packs and sports clubs are also being encouraged to hold their own National Doodle Day competitions.

Around 800 famous names from the worlds of sport, entertainment, theatre, business and politics have added their weight to the campaign. Celebrity doodlers include Big Brother housemate, Rula Lenska; comedian and writer Ricky Gervais; former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy and acting leader Sir Menzies Campbell; Glenda Jackson MP; singer-songwriter Katie Melua; actors Helen Mirren, Martin Kemp, Tamsin Greig, Emma Thompson, and Sir Roger Moore; TV presenters Adam Hart-Davis, Lorraine Kelly, and Fred Dinenage; and children's author Jacqueline Wilson.

Also lending his weight to the campaign is Neil Buchanan, creator and presenter of CiTV's Art Attack.

He said: "I love doodling. I doodle all the time and the really great thing about it is that it doesn't take much time and anyone can do it. You don't have to be an artist, so come on, pick up a pen and get doodling for a good cause!"

An online auction will be launched on eBay on National Doodle Day and will run for 10 days, giving people the opportunity to bid for their favourite celebrity doodle.

Paul Tranter, fundraising manager of Epilepsy Action, said: "Since Doodle Day started in 2004 people have doodled everything and anything from puzzles, patterns and portraits to pets, passions and places. All you have to do is let your imagination take over and enjoy yourself!

"In the last two years doodling has raised £80,000 to help support people with epilepsy and neurofibromatosis. And we have had such a good response so far to this year's event that it looks as if it is going to be even bigger and better."

Roberta Tweedy, of The Neurofibromatosis Association, said: "National Doodle Day has really entered the nation's consciousness. Each year more and more people are taking part and it is such a fun way to raise vital funds and increase awareness for two little known and often misunderstood medical conditions."

Details of all the initiatives, plus lots of ideas for joining in the fun, can be found on a special website http://www.nationaldoodleday.org.uk or call 0113 210 8800. Individual entries should be drawn on an A5 piece of card and include name, age and address on the back. Closing date for entries is Monday 27 March 2006. Each entry must be accompanied by a minimum £1. Cheques should be made payable to National Doodle Day and submitted to National Doodle Day, FREEPOST NDD.

The Neurofibromatosis Association (NfA) is the only UK charity dedicated to the provision of the support for those affected, their families and the professionals concerned with their care. Neurofibromatosis affects one in every 2,500 people worldwide and some 25,000 in this country alone. Complications include learning difficulties, behavioural problems, large benign skin tumours, internal spine and brain tumours and also an increased risk of epilepsy. The NfA helps through its national network of local Neurofibromatosis Co-ordinators, by providing up to date and accessible information and by funding research into finding a treatment and ultimately a cure.

Epilepsy Action is the UK's largest member-led epilepsy charity with around 18,000 members. Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition in the UK affecting one in every 131 people. Epilepsy Action aims to improve the quality of life for people with epilepsy, campaigns to improve epilepsy services and achieve widespread understanding of the condition. The charity directly helps more than 497,000 people every year through it's services including it's Freephone Epilepsy Helpline (0808 800 5050), website http://www.epilepsy.org.uk, branch network and accredited volunteer scheme.

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