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. Expand Although I have now retired from the National Health Service, I continued to operate both in the UK and in many countries abroad. As a plastic surgeon, I have been involved in many aspects of surgical reconstruction. However, I have increasingly focused on the challenge of trying to improve results in surgery for clefts. I have been aware of the lack of good quality data on techniques and outcomes and have tried to make some contributions in these areas. Travelling to many countries has convinced me of the need to try to help in improving care for children born with clefts in resource-poor countries. Most efforts by charities rely on flying in western teams for short visits or paying local surgeons to carry out the operations in private hospitals. Neither of these approaches builds for the future. If these NGOs disappeared, they would have had a negative impact in the long-term. In 2007, with Maddie Holmes (grandmother of a patient) and inspired by John Kettleborough (an ex-patient) we set up the charity CLEFT, with the aim of funding research to be carried out by the North Thames Cleft Team in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the St Andrew’s Centre, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, and also to support cleft lip and palate teams in resource-poor countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Egypt and Kurdistan. We have achieved a lot but there is much more to be done – helping to bridge the gaps in knowledge about the causes and treatment of clefts and trying to bridge the gaps between treatment in countries like the UK and countries like Bangladesh. In addition to being the current chairman of CLEFT, I am currently trying to split my time between looking after my own patients, regularly visiting the centres that we support overseas, and also keeping in touch with my own family of five children and currently fourteen grandchildren. It would be better if there were more hours in the day and more days in the year! http://www.sommerlad.co.uk/
Marie Pinkstone I am delighted and honoured to be a trustee of CLEFT. CLEFT is a charity that represents my values and commitment to research and treatment for patients and families affected by cleft. Expand My background is Lead Speech and Language Therapist for the North Thames Cleft Service based at St Andrews Hospital in Chelmsford and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. I have worked in the service following its establishment in 2002 and have been working in the field of cleft lip and palate since 1997. My clinical speciality as enabled me to support CLEFT projects in Uganda, Ghana and in Bangladesh. Through working in new and challenging environments I have seen first hand the positive impact that Cleft brings to the patient journey with every penny raised influencing patient care and research. My focus is to improve all patient experience and clinical outcomes.. a focus that is shared with my fellow board members.
Matt Fell I am excited to work with the CLEFT charity team, as part of the UK’s collaborative effort to help improve cleft care in the UK and overseas. Expand I am the Cleft Surgeon at the Welsh Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate. I have an Honorary Fellowship position to perform epidemiological cleft research with the Cleft Collective at the University of Bristol. Being able to contribute to global cleft care has always been very important to me. Being involved with CLEFT allows me to work amongst a great team to help improve the provision of cleft care for patients and their families living in resource-poor settings. If you would like to listen to Matt examining the problems of inequalities in access to cleft care in lower income countries, please click here.
Bruce Richard Consultant Cleft Surgeon (retired). Expand I lived in in Nepal for 11 years, (1989-1999) where I set up a Plastic Surgery Department for the Government of Nepal, trained 7 Nepalese surgeons in Plastic Surgery, initiated a Randomised controlled trial in Cleft surgery, and investigated the facial nerve in leprosy. My passion was working with Nepalese colleagues to improve outcomes for the people of West Nepal. For the last 19 years, I have been a Consultant Cleft surgeon in Birmingham, developing the cleft service, teaching Plastic surgery, supporting national Cleft Audit, and initiating several cleft clinical research projects. I continue with 2 PhD students that I co-supervise on computer artificial Intelligence projects developing a better cleft aesthetic outcome measure and investigating why some children’s midface does not grow sop well after cleft surgery. The CLEFT International Charity objectives, completely encapsulates my passion for development and sustainability of improved Cleft care in Low and Middle Income Countries by the ethos and methodology stated in the Mission Statement. I would like to help those objectives become more of a reality. If you would like to hear more from Bruce about his experiences of working and living in Nepal, please click here.
Rona Slator, Chair of the Research Steering Committee Retired, and living in the North Yorkshire countryside. Former Consultant Plastic and Cleft Surgeon at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the West Midlands Cleft Lip and Palate Centre. Expand I was a student for a long time. I particularly enjoyed and learned from my research degree the excitement of knowing a small area in great depth and the results of experimental studies. As a medical doctor, initially very early in my postgraduate career, I was inspired by both the cleft surgery of Brian Sommerlad, and by his enthusiasm for auditing outcomes. I have been passionate ever since about knowing more about how well treatments for cleft lip and palate work. I was on the Steering Group of the James Lind Alliance Cleft Lip and Palate Priority Setting Partnership, the first Chair of the Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Clinical Studies Group, and President of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland. During my time as Chair of the CCC CSG we started the Early Careers Researcher Group. I was Clinical Lead of the West Midlands Cleft Service for many years, and Chair of the Cleft Clinical Directors Special Interest Group. I acted as the local PI for international cleft research projects, and encouraged research and audit within the West Midlands Cleft team which has led to a number of collaborations and publications. Funding for cleft research has always been hard to find. I welcome the chance through CLEFT: Bridging the Gap to continue supporting research into improving the lives of children and adults affected by cleft lip and palate. There are so many fascinating areas where we still know so little. If you would like to listen to Rona talking about the value of research to cleft professionals and patients, please click here.
David Sainsbury I am delighted to be a Trustee of CLEFT and am very enthusiastic at the prospect of helping teams around the world to provide the best possible care for individuals with a cleft. Expand I am a Consultant Cleft and Plastic Surgeon in Newcastle upon Tyne – where I live with my wife and three children. I trained in plastic surgery in North-East England and completed Advanced Training in Cleft Lip and Palate (Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham, Edinburgh) and the Paediatric Plastic Surgery Fellowship (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto). I am a founder member of the Cleft Multidisciplinary Collaborative which produces multicentre, cleft related research across the UK and beyond. I am an Honorary Tutor at the Wound Healing Research Unit, Cardiff University.
Shonnelly Novintan I’m looking forward to taking on this exciting journey with Will to form and shape the CLEFT Trainee Section. Expand I am a junior doctor who graduated from Imperial College London in 2021 and am undertaking my plastics training in Chelmsford. My interest in cleft lip and palate began after my elective at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where I first saw the meticulous nature of cleft surgery. After getting involved with CLEFT, I was enlightened to the global humanitarian impact and this has spurred my passion to develop the Trainee Section alongside Will.
Richard Carrick Expand I’ve been involved in the UK travel, hospitality & transport industries for over 40 years. I’m currently a chairman, non-executive director and investor in several businesses. I’m delighted to be a CLEFT trustee and help contribute to the amazing work it does in many countries of the world.
Kathryn Qattan Expand I have worked in financial services for over 30 years and have also volunteered for Girl Guiding, in a number of roles, for almost as long. I am delighted to be appointed as a Trustee and look forward to supporting the Charity in all aspects of its work
Weronika Holt Weronika brings a unique perspective to CLEFT, shaped by her lived experience as a patient receiving medical care for cleft lip and palate across different countries. Expand Having seen cleft as a lifelong challenge and source of resilience, she understands first-hand the complexities of treatment and the profound impact it has on individuals and families. This personal journey has fuelled her deep passion for addressing the stark inequalities in cleft care worldwide. She is committed to helping eradicate these disparities so that every child, regardless of where they are born, can access the treatment they need. As a trustee, Weronika’s role is to enable the research and development that CLEFT undertakes in the UK and internationally, by fostering meaningful engagement and funding. She is honoured to contribute to making a difference in an area she knows all too well, ensuring that progress continues towards equitable, sustainable cleft research and care globally
Chris Williams Chris has spent much of his career working in the charity sector, currently as CEO, where his role focuses on fundraising and organisational development. Expand Throughout his professional life, the experiences that have stayed with him most are the human ones - seeing how practical support, compassionate care, and community can restore confidence, dignity, and hope for individuals and families facing challenging circumstances. Born with a cleft lip and cleft palate, Chris understands first-hand the lifelong impact of specialist care, timely support, and the reassurance that comes from knowing you are not facing challenges alone. This personal experience gives him a deep appreciation for the work that organisations like CLEFT do for children, young people, and families. Alongside his background in fundraising, Chris brings broader experience in charity governance, financial oversight, risk management, and long-term planning. He understands how strong governance and sustainable income enable staff, volunteers, and clinicians to deliver life-changing impact for the people they serve. Having seen first-hand how the right support at the right time can transform lives, he is keen to contribute his time and experience to organisations that make a tangible difference and is delighted to support CLEFT as a trustee.