Find a Challenge

Join the CLEFT Family & Run For Charity!

Whether you're a family looking to have fun or an athlete aiming for a challenge, Run For Charity has events for all ages and abilities, even the family pet can take part in some activities. By participating, you’re helping us support families affected by clefts.

Events Include:

Tough Mudder’s
Nuclear Races
UK Bungee Club
Jurassic Express & New Forest Trail Runs
5Ks, 10Ks and Half Marathons across the UK, including Leeds, Manchester, and more
Marathons Including Barcelona, Amsterdam and many UK cities.
Jurassic Express & New Forest Trail Runs: Stunning 12k & 21k trail races

Every event you join helps us raise funds and support cleft families.

👉 Sign up today and get involved!:

CLEFT Events Hub

Latest

Javid's 10k Fundraising Run

My son Elvin was born with a cleft lip in 2024. But thanks to the NHS, we got world class care and the result was unrecognisable. Sometimes we remember the fact that he used to have a cleft and we miss his huge carefree cleft smile. But unfortunately not every child has access to the same professional support. It is Elvin's 2nd birthday this week, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to run 10k fundraising for CLEFT - to help other children across the world, bridging the gap.
LF1 Cleft Charity

We are raising money with the LF1 division of the Cleft Charity at Charles University, Prague, to support sustainable, long-term improvements in cleft care. Through fundraising and awareness initiatives at LF1, we aim to contribute to the main UK Cleft Charity’s mission of improving access to cleft treatment, multidisciplinary care, and support services for patients and families both in the UK and internationally.
London Marathon 2027

1.33 million people applied for the London Marathon 2027. For the first time ever CLEFT has a guaranteed place. We are looking for someone incredible to run the London Marathon for CLEFT. Could that person be you?
Sarah’s 10K for Cleft UK

I am raising money to provide long-term, sustainable ways to improve cleft care both in the UK and overseas.

Barts and The London 15th Surgical Conference fundraiser

We are holding a bake sale fundraiser during the 15th Barts and The London Surgical Conference to support CLEFT UK and help improve cleft care in the UK and internationally.
MICHAEL’S ICELAND TREK

TO HELP RAISE FUNDS FOR THE KIDS WITH CLEFT IN THE U.K. AND OVERSEAS.
Emily Hawley Memorial

Donations in memory of Emily Hawley, 1932-2022. Emily was very fond of young children and frequently expressed a wish to help young ones born with clefts to be able to smile, to be confident to be included and live a happy life.
Jasmine's Half Marathon Fundraiser

I'm running for CLEFT to help improve cleft care all over the world.
Amy's Easter Hamper Raffle Fundraiser

I am a student Speech and Language Therapist and am currently on a placement where I can directly see the impact of cleft palates on children's communication. It is vital that children receive intervention as soon as possible to allow them the best chances in their development. The charity focuses on raising money to provide long-term, sustainable ways to improve cleft care both in the UK and overseas.
Fundraise for CLEFT

Fundraise for CLEFT and help improve cleft care for children and families worldwide. Whether you want to take on a challenge, celebrate a milestone, or fundraise your way, every effort helps support research, training, and long-term care partnerships.

Donate to CLEFT

You can make a one-off donation today or sign up to giving a regular monthly gift. All donations, small or large, will help us to improve the lives of those born with cleft lip and palate both now and in the future.
National Institute of Burns and Plastic Surgery

We are working with Bangladeshi specialists at the new National Institute of Burns and Plastic Surgery to create a sustainable centre to treat children with cleft lip and palate.
Our mission

CLEFT was established in 2007 with one aim, to help improve the lives of children born with cleft lip and palate, either by funding research into the likely causes of the condition or by helping support teams in lower and middle income countries.
Nawrin and the C-Arm

This important piece of equipment was supplied by CLEFT and is used to see moving images of the cleft palate. Nawrin is a 13 year old girl who was experiencing speech difficulties and needed the C-Arm to show the cleft team if further surgery was required.
About us

CLEFT was established in 2007 by cleft surgeon Brian Sommerlad - based at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, together with a former patient and a patient's grandmother.
The genetics of cleft lip and palate

Investigations into the genetics of cleft lip and palate to understand more about why cleft lip and palate occurs.
Brian Sommerlad, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and Chair of Trustees

For over 40 years, I have been involved in operating on babies, children and adults who have been born with cleft lip and/or palate.
Our research vision

At CLEFT, our vision is of a future where clefts are preventable. Until we get there, we want to improve the lives of those born with cleft lip and palate.
Trusts and Foundations

Today, 1-in-700 babies in the UK are born with a cleft lip and palate, the most common form of birth defect. The impact on a child’s life as they grow is profound. Typically, they will need at least four operations. They may also require ongoing tests, treatment or therapy. It will affect the way they look but also their speech, hearing and dental development. It can leave deep psychological scars.
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