£100,000 centre opened by encephalitis group (From Gazette & Herald)

£100,000 centre opened by encephalitis group

AN APPEAL to raise £100,000 to provide a national centre in Malton for the brain-injury charity the Encephalitis Society, reached its climax yesterday when it was formally opened by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Lord Crathorne.

The charity now has a resource centre at Saville Street, Malton, which will provide help to sufferers and their families, offering a dedicated focus for research and development, together with education, training, treatment and rehabilitation.

Lord Crathorne described it as "a difficult syndrome for family and friends of victims to cope with - it is a frightening condition."

He praised the support group which, he said, had converted a dream into a reality by establishing the centre.

"So much has been achieved in less than a decade since the support group began," he told a large crowd at the launch, held in St Michael's Church, Malton.

He said: "I meet a lot of unsung heroes in my position, especially in the voluntary sector."

He added that the centre would have a worldwide influence, helping those with encephalitis.

Sir David Goodall, a former chairman of an international disability charity named after the war-time hero Leonard Cheshire, said: "It has been an eye-opener to me how high a percentage of the population suffers from disability."

Elaine Dowell, the chief executive of the Encephalitis Society, and a founder member, said the illness caused devastation to families but the society was able to make a difference.

"People can pick up a phone at any time and there is someone available to listen and help," she said. "Our aim is to improve the quality of life for sufferers and their families."

Lord Habgood, the former archbishop of York, who launched the original appeal for the centre two years ago, said diseases such as encephalitis were often neglected because comparatively few people suffered from them. He praised the charity and its supporters for their hard work in achieving their milestone in opening the centre.

Coun Brian Cottam, chairman of Ryedale District Council, said it was important that the charity continued to be supported financially to keep it running. "I do wish it every success," he said.

The society started as a telephone support group, and opened its national office at 44a Market Place in 1999. It received a National Lottery award three years ago, enabling it to expand and, earlier this year, it appointed a family support co-ordinator, funded by the BBC Children in Need appeal, and changed its name to The Encephalitis Society, with the strap line "action for support, awareness and research".

Updated: 16:24 Wednesday, May 28, 2003