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A person in a blue jacket and green beanie stands in a snowy landscape, holding a small brown dog. They are both smiling, surrounded by snow-covered trees and hills. A fence runs along the path beside them.

Trustee Diana's first year on the board

Diana Dalton joined the Operation Smile UK Board of Trustees last year. We asked her to share some highlights from her first 12 months in post. 

Last year we welcomed three new trustees to the OperationSmile UK Board of Trustees. One of them was Diana Dalton, who brought with her a wealth of experience in international development. Diana currently heads up the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) work on gender and equalities.  

Now, after 12 months as an Operation Smile trustee, we asked Diana her to share her experiences so far and how the role has impacted her personally and professionally. She said: 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people behind all the excellent work Operation Smile does around the world, from the small and dedicated UK team through to those at the US HQ and some of the volunteer medics. It’s been fascinating to see closer up how the machine works to change the lives of so many young people and their families and rewarding to make just a small contribution at each of the Board meetings. Each Board member comes from a different professional background, so we add quite different perspectives to the decision-making process.” 

We also asked how being a trustee has impacted Diana’s own career in Government, she said: 

“I have worked in the UK Government for a long time now, but spent many of my earlier professional years in the voluntary sector. Joining the Board has reminded me just how much non-governmental organisations like Operation Smile are able to achieve with great leadership and – very importantly – skilled fundraising efforts. It’s easy to forget how many lives are only improved in this way, where Government just doesn’t have the capacity to provide what’s needed. For those living with cleft conditions, it’s a total life changer to receive the treatment they need to live without stigma and be able to access opportunity on an equal basis to everyone else in their community. Operation Smile does build capacity of the local and national systems in the way that it works, but in the meantime provides a critical service that makes a huge difference. It’s an eye-opener to see this working in practice (and I’m hoping to get out to join a surgical programme soon!).” 

Three individuals smile for a photo indoors. The woman on the left wears a patterned dress, the man in the center is in a light suit, and the man on the right wears a dark suit with a blue tie. They stand in a room with ornate decor.
Diana with José Viera, Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance, and the Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP

Thanks to Diana for her valuable input so far. 

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