CLEFT Films

We are incredibly lucky to have worked with an exceptional filmmaker to bring our work to life. Paul Whittaker is a talented Bristol-based film-maker and has created the majority of our films. Over the past seven years, Paul's camera has taken him on journeys across Bangladesh, Iraq, and the UK, where he has captured our story with clarity and depth. Recently, Paul collaborated with Nepali film-maker Prasuna Dongol on an exciting project in Kathmandu. Prasuna captured the footage while Paul helped weave it all together in the editing room, creating a powerful and engaging film.

Clinicians bring cleft care expertise to life in video

Our new film shines a light on the twinning relationship, developed between Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary and the Kirtipur Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Filmed by Prasuna Dongol, a Nepalese film maker based in Kathmandu herself, and edited by Paul Whittaker, this is a fascinating insight into how different cleft disciplines can work together to provide a more holistic approach to treatment. Read more

A film about CLEFT research

Our research film looks at the importance of research into the likely causes of cleft lip and palate and at the sort of research projects that CLEFT supports. Read more

Sulaimania's first multi-disciplinary cleft team

Sulaimania's troubled past means that there are many children and adults with untreated clefts or with clefts that have been operated on inadequately. Click the link above to read further and watch our new film by Paul Whittaker to see what the situation is there and how the team copes. Read more

Treating craniofacial clefts

Craniofacial clefts are large clefts that can affect the face, eyes, nose and mouth. Read more

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. Read more

A day in the life of CLEFT

This film gives a fascinating insight into life in the cleft ward through the team that work there. Read more

Moriam's story

Moriam was born with a unilateral, single sided cleft of lip and palate. Her parents explain why receiving treatment at the cleft centre in Dhaka was so important. Read more

Brush your teeth

Dental hygiene is important for everyone, but for children born with clefts, having healthy teeth is particularly important. Teeth can grown in unusual places when the structure of the jaw is altered by the cleft and so sometimes teeth can be difficult or even painful to access. Read more

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.

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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