This October, I will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon, 13.1 miles through four of London’s beautiful parks, to raise money for CLEFT.

This will be my first ever half marathon, and it is definitely not something I would normally sign myself up for. But after being involved with CLEFT for the past two years, first as a Student Ambassador and now as a Student Lead, I wanted to push myself to do something challenging for a cause I genuinely care about.

During my time with CLEFT, I have helped organise events to raise awareness and funds for the charity, and I have been lucky enough to work alongside people who are kind, passionate, and genuinely committed to making a difference. What has stood out to me most is that CLEFT is not just focused on short-term support, but on building sustainable, long-term ways to improve cleft care both in the UK and overseas.

Their work supports education, research, training, and improved access to specialist cleft care, helping children, families, and healthcare teams around the world.

Running a half marathon will be a big personal challenge for me, but I feel proud to be doing it for a charity surrounded by such good people, doing meaningful work that has a lasting impact. Any donation, big or small, would mean so much and will help CLEFT continue its vital work.

Thank you so much for your support. Unverified User