A Sudbury woman has been named volunteer of the year by a national charity.

Nicki Garrard was presented with the award from Epilepsy Action for raising awareness of epilepsy and promoting public information about the condition.

A qualified nurse, Mrs Garrard has been a volunteer with the charity for more than 10 years and is a branch officer at its Bury St Edmunds base.

A previous chair of the Sudbury branch, she has also been an accredited volunteer for the charity since 1998 and has delivered many awareness-raising events, gaining excellent feedback for her knowledge, presentation style and her positive attitude.

With her support and networking skills, the Bury St Edmunds branch has put on many information sessions across Suffolk.

On a practical level, Mrs Garrard works tirelessly in support of people living with epilepsy. In November 2013, she co-chaired the successful east of England strategic clinical network neurology event and she recently contributed to the production of an accident and emergency leaflet for east of England hospitals.

Accepting the award at a ceremony in Leeds, Mrs Garrard said: “I’m touched to receive this award from Epilepsy Action.

“Knowing that my role plays a part in improving the lives of other families affected by epilepsy makes it very rewarding.”

Philip Lee, chief executive at Epilepsy Action, presented the award. He said: “We’re delighted to acknowledge Nicki’s work at this year’s Epilepsy Action National Volunteer Awards. Her enthusiasm and commitment to people living with epilepsy and to the charity are assets to be treasured.

“These awards reflect the recipients’ wonderful efforts and mark our appreciation for the tremendous work that all our volunteers undertake. At Epilepsy Action many of our achievements come about because of the support of our fantastic volunteers.

“Those here today have played a very special role in helping us to improve the lives of the 600,000 people with epilepsy across the UK.”

Epilepsy Action’s National Volunteer Awards recognise the outstanding support given to the charity by its volunteers nationwide. A total of 19 awards were presented across eight categories.

For more information about volunteering opportunities visit epilepsy.org.uk/volunteer or call the local services team on 0113 210 8800.