AS a mother and grandmother I know only too well how devastating meningitis can be.

My youngest child contracted the disease at the age of seven but fortunately made a full recovery. I know that we were among the lucky ones.

Unfortunately thousands of others are not so lucky. Survivors face a future with devastating after-effects and families are bereaved, left to face a future without a loved one.

I am proud to be an Ambassador for the Meningitis Trust which works tirelessly to help people devastated by this disease. Its range of professional support services is truly a lifeline; without it thousands of people would be left to face the challenges of life after meningitis alone.

But it needs your support to continue its vital work.

More than 500,000 people living in the UK have had either viral or bacterial meningitis. Those who have survived are left coping with debilitating after-effects including deafness, blindness, limb loss, (where septicemia is involved), learning difficulties, memory issues and behavioural problems – any of which can lead to enforced lifestyle changes and relationship issues.

I am asking for your help in three areas: “Raising awareness of the work of the Meningitis Trust; " Raising money so that it can help everyone who has come into contact with meningitis in some way; " Increasing understanding of the symptoms of meningitis and the impact it has.

Please support the Meningitis Trust; you can really help it make a difference to people’s lives.

Joanna Trollope, OBE, author and writer.