Bangladesh revisited

CLEFT Chairman, Brian Sommerlad, is currently visiting Bangladesh for the first time in two years. This is a great opportunity for Mr Sommerlad to see first hand the progress that has been made at the Sheikh Hasina Institute for Burns and Plastic Surgery since he was last there before the pandemic. Apart from catching up with some familiar faces amongst both the cleft team and patients, Mr Sommerlad has also been able to hand deliver two specialist cleft surgical sets, paid for with a generous CLEFT donation made last year. The moment was captured below and shows Mr Sommerlad passing the equipment to Dr Samanta L Sen, National Director. Also pictured is Professor Kalam (4th from the left), Dr Md Rabiul Karim Khan, Director of the Cleft and Craniofacial Centre (third from the right) and colleagues.

Members of the Bangladesh team will be visiting the UK this summer, combining an opportunity to learn from colleagues in cleft centres around the country with the CLEFT 22 International Conference in Edinburgh.

Research

Just as visits abroad are becoming easier once again, research is also re-starting after a quiet period when Covid soaked up all available time and effort. The Research Steering Committee considers requests for research funding and their recommendations are then taken to the CLEFT trustees. 

Fundraising news

A few Coffee & Cakes for CLEFT events were held in February and those who attended enjoyed some wonderful baking. Cakes of all kinds were washed down by cups of coffee or tea. It was a great way to spend a grey February day!

    

Forthcoming events

Ride London 29th May 2022

The world’s greatest festival of cycling returns on Sunday 29 May 2022, with a new format, exciting new routes and a new partnership with Essex County Council. The route starts and ends in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and when you sign up you commit to raising £400 for the charity. You will receive a CLEFT cycling jersey and tips on how to raise money!

Save the Date – Black-Tie Dinner!

A Black-Tie dinner has been booked for 21st October at a central London venue. Save the date so that when tickets come on sale you do not miss out as numbers are limited. This will be a chance to meet others involved in the charity and to hear the latest news about CLEFT.
 

Student Section

The next major event in the student section CLEFT calendar is the OXPRAS event which consists of 3 online lectures and 1 in-person lecture which will take place throughout March. Click on the link to find out more! 

CLEFT’s Fundraising Committee needs YOU!

The Fundraising Committee was set up just under a year ago and has helped raise the profile of CLEFT while taking part in every event! We are currently a small committee and invite anyone interesting in joining to contact the fundraising team at [email protected]. We are looking for a mix of skills to complement the current team, for example, experience in holding local events and contacting potential donors!