No images? Click here October Round-Up In this month's issue of CLAPA Connect you'll find stories, lots of information about our exciting upcoming events, and ways to support us so we can keep being there for everyone who needs us. Read on to find out more! Thank you to Kirsty who shared this wonderful photo of her son, George, smiling at home! We hope this photo makes you smile too. Upcoming Events For the latest listings, check our website at clapa.com/events, or look out for updates on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages! This Saturday 31st October at 11am our lovely CLAPA Ambassador and actress, Naomi Battrick, will be hosting a Halloween-themed creative workshop for children and young people aged 11- 18. Whether you'd like to take part in all the activities or just watch and listen, everyone is welcome! While Halloween might be a bit different this year, we can still have lots of fun! Join us this Saturday 31st October at 6pm for a fun Halloween-themed virtual scavenger hunt on Zoom led by one of our lovely CLAPA volunteers. Book via the button below! This coming Monday 2nd November at 7pm Kate, our Communications and Regional Support Officer, and Kenny, our Adult Services Manager, will be heading on to Facebook Live to host our November CLAPA Quiz! You don't need to sign up anywhere to join us, just head to our Facebook page for 7pm! Join us on Wednesday 4th November at 7pm for an insightful talk on ‘Intelligent Kindness’ by the brilliant campaigner and speaker, Tommy Whitelaw, followed by the chance to chat to, and connect with, other parents/carers local to you. Register for free by clicking below! Megan's #DailySmile Yesterday morning we shared a #DailySmile submission from Megan. In case you missed it, we wanted to share her powerful and inspiring words here too. Megan said: ‘My name is Megan and I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. I've had numerous procedures, but I'm finally starting to accept myself for who I am. I've used all my experiences with bullying in a positive notion, by raising money for CLAPA, writing an article to raise awareness as well as putting photos of my bilateral cleft affected son forward for CLAPA articles, leaflets and greeting cards. I’ve created my own version of beauty, and learned that everyone's version of beauty is different. We should all just try our best to be confident with ourselves.’ A huge thank you to Megan and everyone else who has shared a #DailySmile photo and story over the last week, and over the last several months! If you'd like to share some of your journey, spread some positivity, or tell the CLAPA community what matters to you, just click the button below. Virtual Challenge Events As the world has moved online over the last several months and challenge events across the UK have been postponed, there's a growing number of virtual, socially distanced, runs, cycles, treks and walks on offer. We are updating our website as and when new virtual events are announced, so click on the button below to find your next challenge! The Sound We Found We are delighted to share with you a new picture book called ‘The Sound We Found’. Designed and written by SLTs with Cleft Teams to encourage early sound and rhyme play, this is a great resource for children born with a cleft palate. While the writers have especially recommended this book for children aged 0-5, it is suitable for any young children who enjoy rhymes and looking at books. Click on the button below to learn more! Koren's Marathon for CLAPA After winning a place for this year's London Marathon, Koren decided to support CLAPA. She'd seen the difference our support made to her friend's family when their son Teddy was born with a cleft, and wanted to do something to help.She said, 'CLAPA provided Alice and Will with guidance, support and information before and after Teddy's arrival so I chose them [as my charity to fundraise for] to try and help.' When the London Marathon was postponed, she decided to complete the distance at home in her local area, and raised an incredible £1,400 for CLAPA!You can read Koren's story in full by clicking on the button below. No matter how you are affected by cleft or where you are on your journey, you're not alone. Through our Peer and Parent Support Service, you can chat to someone who will know just what you're going through. Find out more by clicking on the button below. Catch up on Cleft Talk! Our monthly podcast returned this week with an episode on 'Managing Bullying and Discrimination'. In case you missed it, or any previous episodes, you can catch up by heading to our website! Just click on the button below to listen. Did you know that you can support us as you shop by signing up to Amazon Smile? To date, Amazon has donated £2,295.30 to CLAPA thanks to you. Start making your purchases count today by clicking on the link below! Keeping Your Data SafeWe’ll use the information you’ve provided when signing up to send you the most relevant content, and you can update this data (and your preferences) at any time. Read our Privacy Policy to find out more about how we collect, store, and use your information. You can also get in touch at any time at info@clapa.com or call 020 7833 4883 if you have any questions or concerns. |