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Home United Kingdom > News & PressLatest news from the UKOSUK Sponsors First Kenya Project of 2008113 children are treated Operation Smile UK sponsored the first project to take place in Kenya since the post-election trouble earlier this year. An enthusiastic team of volunteers from around the world worked for seven days to provide free medical evaluations to all 225 patients who arrived at the site in Meru, central Kenya. A total of 113 patients received free, life-changing surgery.
Operation Smile India Opens Inaugral Care Centre450 to benefit each year from new facility Operation Smile took another step towards a 'Cleft Free India' with the launch of its new comprehensive Care Centre in Barasat, India. This big project which took around 14 months of hard work was opened on April 16th and was funded by Operation Smile UK. The centre will be capable of providing treatment for 450 patients per year, as well as offering full post-operative care.
Hedge Fund Fite Night is a Real Hit!Fourth Annual Boxing Match Packs a Real Punch This year's Hedge Fund Fight Nite at Old Billingsgate market packed a mean punch in the city's turbulent financial markets after raising in the region of £140,000 for Operation Smile UK. For the fourth year the brave and the bold traded their suits and ties for shorts and gloves in the city's most famous white-collar boxing event. It was amazing to see the boys from Hedge Funds go up against their rivals in the Private Equity boutiques. Amongst the 500 attendees were boxing legends Steve Collins, Barry McGuigan and rugby heroes John Conteh and Paul Sacki. Ogier's Ahmed Kahn was awarded top prize, 'Fight of the Night', after 3 gruelling bouts. Also packing a big financial punch was Man Financial's Luke 'The Wild Boy' Turpin who stepped into the ring against Dick Munton. A special thanks goes to Luke Turpin after his efforts raised over £13,000 for Operation Smile UK! To view Hedge Fund Fight Nite VI Photo Gallery Please click on: 1. chrisallerton.fotofed.com/guest/index.asp 2. Find the wedding gallery - click on the "login" under Operation Smile Fight Nite 4. Enter the following passwords: username - operationsmile password - boxing
Angus Lawson Dental Department Opens in MoroccoRepresentative from the Trust visits the new Casablanca Care Centre Dentistry is vital for all children, and especially so for those with cleft lips and palates. Therefore Operation Smile Morocco are very grateful to The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust for sponsoring the dental wing in their new Comprehensive Care Centre in Casablanca. A representative from the Trust visited Morocco to unveil a plaque and see the work taking place at the Angus Lawson Dental Department. Thanks to their generosity, the Centre boasts state-of-the-art equipment, which allows Operation Smile Morocco's 48 dental volunteers to treat hundreds of children each week. On the day that Fie from the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust visited the Centre, 57 children were treated. Fie witnessed revolutionary techniques being practised to help babies with cleft palates have needs addressed at a younger age as well as sophisticated dentistry being provided to orphans from the nearby SOS Village Orphanage. Operation Smile Morocco are currently treating hundreds of children a week as well as undertaking training, speech therapy and psychology. Their aim is to care for a stunning 5,000 children in their first year.
Business, Pleasure and Philanthropy!WHAT OUR FUNDRAISERS HAVE BEEN UP TO! It has been yet again a wonderful year for individual fundraisers who have kindly donated their time and efforts to raise funds and awareness for Operation Smile UK. We are truely grateful for all your continued support and achievements to help our efforts to change the lives of children affected with facial deformities. There are so many people to thank and sadly we don't have enough room to list all your stories, but following is just a taste of what our fundraisers have been up to! Thank you all! Kilimanjaro Climb! After 3 days of the grewling climb up Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, Paul Clutterbuck had to urgently adjust his "summit" attempt. Having conquered altitiude sickness, Paul's only lung was not getting enough oxygen for the final demands of the climb. His personal challenge to reach the last camp at a staggering 16,000ft was achieved in just 6 days! Paul waited the return of his fellow climbers in his group including his brother Peter and friend Mike to return from the summit before all making their descent. Peak Challenge! Alan Rivers set himself an unbelievable challenge deciding to climb the peaks of both Mont Blanc and Kilimanjaro within the space of 2 weeks! After a successful trip, Alan has kindly committed to raise a staggering £20,000 for Children suffering with facial deformities. Crossing the channel on a bike! Paul Steggall and Matt Cooper took to their saddles and pedalled their way from Paris to London in September in aid of Operation Smile UK. They travelled over 450km over four days to reach their final destination and a hot bath! A Marathon of two halves! Ann Dearden put on her best running shoes in September when she took part in 2 half marathons in the same month to raise funds for Operation Smile. It was her first long distance event but one of many fund raising events she has taken part in raising valuable funds for Operation Smile UK! Flora and Fauna! Caroline and some friends got together in July during a Floristry Workshop and arranged these beautiful topiary trees! With the proceeds of their sale, they raised a fantastic £150 for Operation Smile UK! Happy New Year From Operation Smile UK!Chairman's Statement It has been yet another a wonderful year for Operation Smile UK and our thanks are extended to all of you who continue to support us, by attending events, your innovative fundraising ideas and helping us to continue to spread the word about the work we do. 2007 marked the 5th Anniversary of Operation Smile UK and the 25th Anniversary of the organisation globally. Through the hard work and dedication of so many of our volunteers, we were able to screen over 7,000 patients during this week long global mission and provided free reconstructive surgery to over 4,000 patients, changing their lives forever. We start 2008 with a full calendar of fundraising events and activities which we hope you will once again be able to join us on! Here is just a taste of what to expect; 4th June 2008 The 4th Hedge Fund Fight Nite In its now 4th year and as one of the City's most challenging fundraising events, the Hedge Fund Fight Nite 2008, will see representatives from the Private Equity and Hedge Fund communities slogging it out in the boxing ring! This event continues to grow from year to year so to avoid disappointment, please hold the date and mark your interest now with Operation Smile. 4th July 2008 4th Annual Cricket Day Now an established part of our event calendar where corporate teams have the opportunity to play against cricket celebrities, we will be hosting this years event at the Bank of England Sports Ground in West London. This is your chance to play alongside cricketing legends which last year included Nasser Hussain, Andrew Strauss, Jeremy Snape and Simon Hughes! Please put this date in your diary now! 6th July 2008 The ASICS British 10K London Run! We have only 6 places remaining for budding athletes hoping to take part in this internationally renowned race throughout the heart of historic London! To find out more and to reserve your place, please contact alex.talbot@operationsmile.org.uk for more information. 17th September 2008 Bisley Shoot for Smiles! Building on the success of this years inaugural event, our 2nd Bisley Clay Shoot takes place back at the world famous ground in Surrey. Step back in to the Victorian splendour that is Bisley Camp and with some of the countrys leading shotgun coaches. Enjoy an action packed day at Snipers Gully and try your aim at the highest clay pheasants in the country! This is fantastic day out for the experienced or novice shot! So please diary all these dates now to avoid any disappointment and we will send you the detailed information you need shortly. In the meantime, it remains for me to thank you for your support of Operation Smile UK. In 2007 we’ve raised over £600 000 for children in Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Ethiopia and India. With your valuable help we have changed the lives of many vulnerable and neglected children, allowing them to have the childhood they so deserve. On behalf of the Trustees and Staff of Operation Smile UK, I would like to wish you and your families a very happy and a prosperous new-year. With warm regards, Manoj Badale Chairman, Operation Smile United Kingdom Operation Smile UK embarks on the World Journey of Smiles25th Anniversary Celebrations On the 8th November 2007, a groundbreaking medical mission was launched worldwide to treat an estimated 5,000 children suffering from facial disfigurements, the largest number of patients ever treated before in one week. This groundbreaking humanitarian mission to provide free re-constructive surgery to children and young adults around the world marked the 25th Anniversary of the organization. UK Volunteers were amongst some of the 1,700 medical staff who took part in this remarkable journey, changing the lives of thousands of children in some of the world's poorest countries who, as a result of their disfigurement, have experienced abandonment and isolation from society. This was the largest co-ordination of medical volunteers amassed to treat children and young adults with facial disfigurements. Operation Smile volunteers in Vijayawada, India were also joined by the TV Soap Celebrity Wendi Peters (aka Cilla Battersby-Brown) from Coronation Street. Wendi, the much-loved actress who made her name playing one of the most colourful characters in soap history has a six-year-old daughter, Gracie and it was her role as a mother that first attracted her to Operation Smile: "I've raised more than a few smiles in my time as Cilla but as a mother I know how important a smile can be for a child. Sharing a child's first smile is really magical. It's the most basic form of communication and is absolutely crucial to forming relationships. I'm thrilled to be accompanying Operation Smile on the World Journey of Smiles and I really look forward to seeing first hand how a simple Operation can change a child’s life forever." Wendi will be reporting on her visit to India on GMTV with Lorraine Kelly, on Tuesday 20th November from 08.30am.
It is smiles all round with Huggies® Nappies!Huggies Super-Dry ®, the leading nappy brand of the global health and hygiene company Kimberley Clark, have recently formed a partnership with Operation Smile UK to launch the Super Smiler competition! This cause related marketing campaign, invites members of the general public to upload a photograph of their baby onto the site and to vote for who you think is the super smiler! For every entry, 10p will be donated to Operation Smile UK. So go on, help us to create smiles and change lives! For more information and to upload your photo's, please visit: www.bounty.com/babyphoto
Operation Smile JordonAn Operation Smile international team of more than 60 medical and non-medical volunteers are working together in Amman, Jordan, to provide free medical evaluations and surgery to Jordanian children suffering from facial deformities. The volunteer team members include plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, an orthodontist, a speech pathologist and others. These volunteers, from the United Kinddom, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Kenya and the United States, are working with a Jordanian medical team at Jamil Tutanji hospital in Amman to provide patients with life-changing surgeries. Since its first international mission in 2000 to Jordan, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided free medical evaluations to more than 2,700 Jordanian and Iraqi children suffering with facial deformities. More than 1,000 have received free reconstructive surgery. First international mission: 2000 International mission sites: Amman, Irbid Opeartion Smile MoroccoOperation Smile United Kingdom has partnered with Operation Smile Morocco (OSM) in the creation of their first Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Care Centre in Northern Africa. The Casablanca based Care Centre will enable Operation Smile Morocco to provide comprehensive treatment and post operative care to an hundreds of additional children suffering from facial deformities each year. In Morocco, it is estimated that up to 1,500 children are born annually with a cleft lips and/or palates and there is an estimated backlog of nearly 3,000 patients awaiting surgery. Since 1999 Operation Smile Morocco has treated over 2,339 though a combination of international and local medical missions. The creation of the Care Centre will enable Operation Smile Morocco to provide the highest quality care to increased number of patients. Children who receive surgery at the Care Centre will not only receive surgical treatment, but will also have access to orthodontic care, speech therapy and nutritional guidance for as long as needed. Additionally, the Care Centre will provide dental treatment for over 2,000 Moroccan children each year and will also act as a hub for medical education programmes such as the Advanced Paediatric Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Burn Care Training Programmes that were held in Morocco this year. The creation of the Morocco Care Centre is a great step for Operation Smile and will help bring Operation Smile Morocco closer to its goal of solving the cleft problem in Morocco over the next 10 years. Operation Smile KenyaOperation Smile United Kingdom continues to support their Kenyan partner as they successfully complete the 4th local medical mission in Meru. Operation Smile Kenya provided full medical assessments and evaluations for 181 prospective patients with facial deformities at the Meru District Hospital in April 2007. In just 7days of intensive screening and surgery, over 120 patients received life changing treatment for cleft related problems. A team of 53 medical and non-medical volunteers from Nairobi, Mobasa, Kisumu, Makuru, Eldoret and Meru worked together to assess and treat all the children seen. Some of these children went on to receive further aftercare with speech and orthodontic specialists. The incident rate for children born with cleft lips and palates in developing countries is approximately 1 in 500. These Children often live in isolation and are not aware that treatment can be made available. Most do not even have access to basic medical care. Operation Smile Kenya (OSMIK) created awareness of the mission by using a widely distributed media campaign. Using local papers and bilingual posters containing graphic descriptions of the services available, they were able to reach patients across Meru and as far as Mount Kenya. This meant that more than double the number of patients treated were able to be medically assessed and will be given an opportunity to attend screening at future missions. In addition, OSMIK were also able to purchase further medical supplies for future missions ensuring that their work combating the facial problem in Kenya continues and that each patient receives the best possible medical treatment. Operation Smile International Student Leadership Conference30 July Mark your calendars! The 15th Annual International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) will be held at the beautiful University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland, 30 July The Independence BallOperation Smile was made the charity of choice at The Independence Ball at London's Hilton Hotel, Park Lane. The event which was hosted by the Conservative leader - The Rt Hon David Cameron MP marked the 60th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence. Operation Smile was delighted to be the chosen Charity given the extensive medical programmes carried out across Asia. Over 450 British Asian business leaders, The Indian High Commissioner and The Pakistan High Commissioner gathered in the Ballroom for a dinner and dance. The Operation Smile Board, were was also joined by The Conservative Leader's Private Secretary and long standing supporter Kapil Dev - India's greatest and most famous cricketer. Operation Smile were a part-beneficiary of the charity auction.
Ethiopia Medical ProjectJimma & Addis Ababa An Operation Smile Medical Project team was in Jimma and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for simultaneous medical projects which took place 30 November Hedge Fund Fight Nite IIILondon, 5th December 2006 - The City event of the season was once again a sell-out, where 16 boxers from London's Hedge-Funds and Private Equity spent the evening trying to knock each other out - all for a good cause. Nearly 600 black tie attired spectators roared on the 16 amateur boxers as they battled it out in the ring to raise money for charity. The overwhelmingly successful evening raised in excess of Operation Smile Hosts World Summit 2006 in Limerick, IrelandEvent gathers 130 Operation Smile international leaders in preparation for 2007's 25th Anniversary initiatives to increase the number of children treated with facial deformities. Operation Smile, a private, not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization providing free reconstructive surgery and related healthcare to children around the world suffering with facial deformities, announces its World Summit 2006. The three-day conference in Ireland assembled 130 of Operation Smile's leading authorities representing nearly 30 countries. The Summit is being held to officially launch the year-long 25th Anniversary celebration and to finalize plans allowing the organization to treat more children around the world suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities. ) World Summit 2006 will take place October 22-24 at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort in Adare County, Limerick, Ireland. Hosted by Operation Smile, nearly 130 participants from Operation Smile's 25 partner countries, six resource countries and the United States converged at the site to discuss the organization's upcoming 25th anniversary and develop strategies to equip Operation Smile partner countries with the tools they need to increase the number of children treated each year. Tom and Judy Kane, owners of Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort, donated the facilities and accommodations for the event and the location provides a central location for participants from the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The participants attended sessions focused on medicine, funding and sustainability to develop methods that will lead to improved and sustained health care for children suffering with facial deformities. An overview of Operation Smile's World Journey of Smiles will be discussed, which will increase the number of children served each year. To be conducted in 2007, World Journey of Smiles will propel Operation Smile into the next 25 years, ensuring its success by giving Operation Smile's partner countries the necessary knowledge, expertise, and equipment to treat children in their own countries year round. 3rd Annual Charity Cricket Day - Friday 7th July 2006On Friday 7th July at The Park Club in Chiswick, some of the best and brightest in International cricket joined together at Operation Smile's 3rd Annual Charity Cricket Day to make children smile. The 'who's who' of cricket were out in force, giving their time to compete in a 8-a-side 'pro-am' tournament and passing on their combined knowledge to local school children in the afternoon coaching session. The event was an amazing success and raised in excess of In Memoriam Brian Coghlan 1962 - 2003 |
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©2006 Operation Smile Incorporated. All rights reserved. |
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