CLAPA Connect: March 2021

In March 2020, the way we all live and work changed dramatically. Thanks to your belief in what we do, we were able to keep supporting the UK cleft community through the most difficult time in our history. ​This included keeping our feeding service open, which sent out 15,477 special bottles and teats this past year!

Everything we do is because of you, and today we'd like to say a huge THANK YOU for your phenomenal support.

In This Edition:

• Fundraising: Step up for CLAPA & Join the Virtual Kiltwalk

• Awareness Week 2021: Celebrating Difference

• Events: Q&A on Interpersonal Relationships, Easter-themed scavenger hunt, & Coffee Club on speech, hearing and dental health

• Your Stories: Rebecca, Darren and Mason

• #ShareASmile: Help us keep this series going

• Vacancies: ​Legal Trustee, Community Engagement Coordinator & Adult Services Coordinator

Get Involved!

Awareness Week 2021

Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Week is about celebrating differences, not only in how we look and sound, but also in the experiences that make us who we are.

This Easter holiday is the perfect opportunity to get inventive and create a piece of art, showing the world what celebrating difference means to you. Is there something about your cleft journey you want to express through creativity? Or could you produce a piece on the theme of 1 in 700? 

Your art could be anything you want it to be -  a painting or drawing, a sculpture, a poem, a fictional story, or a piece of music - and we'll then share your wonderful creations throughout Awareness Week on our social media pages!

Email us your art or get in touch with any questions by clicking below.

Coming Up: Interpersonal Relationships in Adults with a Cleft Q & A

We recently shared the results of new research into interpersonal relationships in adults born with a cleft. At this live Q & A on Monday 29th March at 8pm, our Adult Services Manager will be breaking down the findings in more detail and discussing what they mean for the cleft community.

You won’t need to sign up anywhere to tune in, just head to our Facebook page on the day to catch the livestream. The video will also be saved to our Facebook page and added to our website after the event.

By clicking 'going' on our event page, you'll get a handy reminder to join on the day!

Rebecca, Darren and Mason's story

After Rebecca and Darren received support from CLAPA following the arrival of their son, Mason, they knew they wanted to give back. They recently set up a Facebook Fundraiser and raised a phenomenal £1035!

Rebecca told us, ‘We received Mason's cleft lip diagnosis at our 20-week scan and, as you can imagine, as first time parents this wasn't what we wanted to hear. Our world felt like it had crumbled, and a mixture of feelings and thoughts overcame us.’

Then Mason arrived, and she explained, ‘Mason made his appearance in July 2020 and the minute he was placed into our arms we could not be have been more proud…Mason has been a trooper from day one and continues to make us proud every single day.’

Rebecca and Darren have enjoyed their fundraising experience, and told us, ‘We originally set a goal for £500 but this quickly increased. Before we knew it, we had raised £1035...We have loved every second of this experience and it really has made a difference, from the comments we have received to the donations that have been made even by total strangers! To other fundraisers, literally no matter what you decide to do to raise money, do it! Every penny helps towards such a fantastic charity!’‎

#ShareASmile

Back in March when lockdown first hit, we asked you to share your smiles with us so we could share them with the world. Now, a year on, we're still going!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared their stories and photos so far. You have provided comfort, reassurance, and much-needed positivity throughout a very difficult year.

But now we need your help! Would you like to keep these posts going? Wherever you are on your cleft journey and whatever you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you.