Today at London Luton airport easyJet CEO Ray Webster presented a cheque for £50,000 to Ian McCaskill, Vice President of the National Society for Epilepsy. The National Society for Epilepsy is easyJet's charity of the year and the money is a result of an online 'click and give' campaign which was launched on both www.easyJet.com and www.epilepsynse.org.uk at the start of the partnership last November. The total number of clicks has now reached a massive 200,000 and with easyJet donating 25p per click they have reached their target to donate £50,000.

Joining Ray and former BBC weather man Ian at Luton was Caesar the Seahorse, the NSE's fundraising mascot who came along to offer his support. The link between epilepsy and the seahorse is the hippocampus, Latin for seahorse. The hippocampus is the seahorse-shaped area of the brain which is often the site of unstable epilepsy.

Money raised by easyJet passengers and staff during the next few months will go to NSE’s ‘Seahorse Appeal’ - a fund which supports vital research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and NSE’s MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner.

easyJet CEO Ray Webster said:
"easyJet are delighted to be presenting this cheque to the NSE for £50,000 and hope that this will help in the vital research the NSE carry out. We have been working on innovative and fun ways of fund-raising for the NSE and hope to raise even more money for the seahorse appeal in the coming months"

Ian McCaskill, Vice President of the NSE commented:
"The easyJet partnership means a great deal to NSE- not only in financial terms but also in helping the charity raise awareness of the condition. NSE is at the cutting edge of research, working towards a goal of seizure freedom for all. easyJet’s corporate donation is helping NSE work towards that goal."

easyJet staff has already been involved in a wide variety of fundraising events for the NSE; from a Nude Calendar produced by pilots at Nottingham East Midlands to a group from Liverpool who ran the London Marathon. With more fundraising and promotional activities on the way easyJet hopes that it can raise much needed funds for the charity's all important research programme.

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition affecting one in 150 adults in the UK. Around 1,000 people die from epilepsy related deaths a year - a proportionately higher mortality rate than asthma.

NSE produces a comprehensive range of information leaflets about epilepsy and operates a national helpline Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm on 01494 601400. The website is www.epilepsynse.org.uk.