The new CLEFT student section was 6 months in planning and eventually launched in September 2021. The idea was to recruit student ambassadors from across the various disciplines involved in cleft care to represent CLEFT in raising awareness and fundraising. We hope that the students' involvement with CLEFT will also inspire them further to become the cleft professionals of the future.

The section took a lot of careful planning before its launch with final year medical student, Mahaveer Sangha leading the way in collaboration with Sung Kim (UCL medical student) and Lily St John (Manchester medical student). There are now 65 students ambassadors from 17 different universities encompassing Speech and Language Therapy, Dentistry and Medicine. We are also very pleased to say we have one team from the Czech Republic!

The students have organised a wide range of events all over the country for CLEFT and have impressed everyone with their commitment, enthusiasm and innovation. There has been an art exhibition in Manchester, a Christmas hamper sale, a pub quiz in Cardiff, sponsored events and sporting events. Below are pictures from just some of them:

       

LEFT: Cake sale held by Bristol dental students in December with Christmas theme bakes raising £200 in just 2 hours. RIGHT: In December, Birmingham student Harriet took part in a sponsored 1-mile blindfolded walk. 

      

LEFT: Ashley from Birmingham is pictured here carrying out a sponsored litter pick in her local area, benefitting not just CLEFT but her local community too. RIGHT: Bristol students have set up a local running group and are also taking part in this year's Bristol Half Marathon, running for CLEFT.

     

LEFT: Hull York Medical School students set up a suturing class and lecture. RIGHT: Students at Queen's University Belfast held quizzes on two separate occasions in their student union bar.

If you are a student and would like to get involved, please click here.