Wakefield Town Hall to glow purple for Epilepsy awareness

The Wood Street landmark will be making the change as part of Purple Day, the global day of epilepsy awareness.

The colour switch was organised after Paul Beckett, who has epilepsy and is a local Epilepsy Action volunteer, worked with Wakefield Council to help raise awareness of the condition.

Mr Beckett said: “It has been fantastic to work with Wakefield Council to turn Wakefield Town Hall purple this Purple Day.

“Traditionally the lavender flower represents loneliness, but Purple Day is a reminder that no one has to live with epilepsy alone.

“Epilepsy Action is hoping to turn the whole country purple, whether that’s baking purple cakes, wearing something purple, or lighting up buildings.

“Every penny raised from Purple Day will help Epilepsy Action to continue vital work in supporting the 600,000 people with epilepsy across the UK.”

Previously, the town hall has turned pink in support of breast cancer awareness and tricolour like the French flag following the terrorist attacks in Paris last year.

It will be joined on Saturday by various other landmarks across the UK including Enniskillen Castle in Northern Ireland and Trafalgar Square.

Purple Day was created in 2008 by then nine-year-old Cassidy Megan, a Canadian girl living with epilepsy.

She came up with the idea as a way to dispel the myths surrounding epilepsy, which affects one in every 100 people in the UK. It is now celebrated annually all over the world. For more information, visit epilepsy.org.uk or call the Epilepsy Action Helpline on 0808 800 5050.