News
News and updates from across every CLAPA region
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Adult Stories | Volunteering Stories | Your Stories |
Naomi & Oliver’s Story
This World Smile Day, CLAPA welcomes 'Jamestown' Actress Naomi Battrick as our Ambassador. Here, she shares her memories of supporting longtime friend Oliver through one of the many cleft-related surgeries he went through.
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Adult Issues | Adult Stories | Your Stories |
Sarah’s Story
During those formative years, I was in and out of GOSH for surgical procedures, either on my bladder or to correct my facial differences. In 1982 I had some of some bone marrow taken from my hip and grafted into the gap left by the cleft.
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Your Stories |
Amanda and Skye’s Story
With the surprise of her first baby being born with a cleft, Amanda found that the experience was quite isolating. It was this that inspired her to become more involved with CLAPA, forming and running her own group for other Scottish families affected by cleft.
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Adult Issues | CLAPA Blogs | Genetics | Research | Research Summaries | Staff Blog |
CLAPA Presents at European Cleft Conference in Utrecht
Adult Services Coordinator Kenny Ardouin reports back on his time in Utrecht talking about CLAPA's Adult Services Project and learning from others who'd travelled from all around the world.
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CLAPA Blogs | CLAPA40 | Updates from CLAPA |
Carol Vorderman Leads Celebrations for CLAPA’s 40th Anniversary
On Thursday 27th June, CLAPA celebrated our 40th anniversary with proud Patron Carol Vorderman leading a round of thank-you speeches to founding members and Trustees past and present.
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CLAPA40 | Updates from CLAPA | Your Stories |
40 years of CLAPA: An Interview with Gareth Davies
Gareth Davies, now co-founder of the European Cleft Organisation (ECO) was CLAPA’s first CEO (and first ever paid staff member) from 1995 until 2008. Gareth’s time as CEO saw Carol Vorderman invited to become CLAPA’s Patron in 2001, CLAPA’s first ever young people’s residential weekend in 2002, the launch of free ‘Welcome Packs’ for new parents and carers in 2003 and CLAPA’s first Adults’ Conference in 2007.
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CLAPA40 | Fathers | Parents | Volunteering Stories | Your Stories |
Nick’s Story
"The cursor in the search bar blinked. Fingers sat motionless on the keys. Is this what we want to do? What are we hoping to find out? Why am I thinking, “how bad will it be?” Why her? Will she be okay? What will her life be like? All the questions that you may have wistfully imagined answers to while watching the sunrise now cascaded in search of answers in front of a monitor. The idea of finding out as frightening as not knowing."
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CLAPA40 | Your Stories |
40 years of CLAPA: An Interview with Michael Mars
One of our founding members, former Orthodontist Michael Mars has watched CLAPA grow from an idea into a national charity working to improve the lives of people affected by cleft all over the UK. In this interview, he looks back on how CLAPA was founded and how far it has come since 1979.
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CLAPA40 | Parent Stories | Volunteering Stories | Your Stories |
Amelia’s Story
Amelia is part of CLAPA's Board of Trustees. Our Trustees are a small group of volunteers who take responsibility for governing CLAPA as a charity and directing how it is managed and run. CLAPA's staff look after the charity's day-to-day work, but our Board of Trustees ensures everything we do is governed and directed by the cleft community.
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Adult Stories | CLAPA40 | Volunteering Stories | Your Stories |
Eleanor’s Story!
Eleanor, now in her early 20s, volunteers for CLAPA by helping to run Residential Weekends for young people born with a cleft. From adventure activities and team games to the opportunity to relax and have fun with others who have similar experiences, these weekends are aimed at tackling the isolation that can sometimes come with being born with a cleft.
