VTCT FOUNDATION 2025 SHOWCASE
Over 30 Appearance Collective members came together in Kings Cross on 16 July for VTCT Foundation’s annual London Showcase event. As the Foundation moves into its final phase, this year’s event provided a valuable forum for attendees to hear about and explore the four central themes that have emerged through the VTCTF Legacy Project research process:
Information/education hubs
EDI and increasing reach
Advocacy and awareness raising
Family support
Setting the tone for the day, VTCTF Chair Tony Lau Walker emphasised the importance of collaborative discussion to ensure the legacy is directed to where charities in the visible difference sector need it most. There were presentations from Appearance Collective charities on four of the priority areas that had emerged from their conversations with the VTCT team over the previous few months.
VTCT FOUNDATION CHAIRS AND CEO’S MEETING
Date: 27th November 2025
Time: 10am – 3.45 pm
Venue: Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, London E1 6LS
At this event we will be sharing and discussing the proposals for our legacy and Ian McLintock, founder of Charity Excellence Framework, will lead a workshop on the use of AI in the charity sector – aimed at Chairs and CEOs – and exploring governance issues, risks, benefits, policies and useful tools, tips and tricks.
Further details and booking for this event will be circulated shortly.
If you are a CEO or Chair of an Appearance Collective charity and would like to join this group, please contact lizzie.chambers@vtctfoundation.org.uk
SPOTLIGHT ON A VTCT FOUNDATION FUNDED PROJECT
Empowering Young People with Cleft: A Participatory Action Research Project
By Julie Davis
With the generous support of the VTCT Foundation and my academic supervisors Dr Amy Burton and Dr Alison Owen from the University of Staffordshire, I was able to lead a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project that placed young people with cleft at the centre, not just as participants, but as co-researchers. Together, we used the photovoice method to creatively explore their lived experiences and co-develop messages aimed at improving clinical care and supporting other young people with a visible difference.
Following a workshop with a photographer who skilled the young people to take photographs with their smartphones, the co-researchers over 5 weeks took photographs representing their experiences which answered two research questions, “What’s having a cleft meant for you in your life” and “What do you want clinicians to know about your cleft journey.” These images, paired with powerful captions, led us to identify and explore six key themes: Memories, Relationships/ Journeys, Treatment and Feelings, Change, Perspective and Opportunities/Awareness.
Drawing on these themes, the group collaboratively produced two impactful videos:
- One for clinicians, sharing honest, first-hand perspectives to promote person-centred care.
- One for young people with cleft, designed to foster connection, confidence, and resilience, and to remind others that they are not alone.
With VTCTF’s support, several young co-researchers were able to jointly present the project with me at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland in Newcastle. We were deeply honoured to receive a standing ovation and were awarded the President’s Prize for Best Presentation of the conference, a testament to the strength of the ‘lived experience,’ co-researchers voice and the authenticity of this work.
We also hosted a small art installation at the conference, displaying a selection of the photographs and accompanying captions and we were invited to present to each of the Clinical Excellence Network Groups (CENs). At each session, we shared the clinician-focused video to highlight the importance of listening to young people’s voices and considering their insights when delivering care.
This project is about more than research, it’s about changing the narrative around cleft, and celebrating resilience, confidence, and the young people’s unique and empowering journey. We are incredibly grateful to the VTCT Foundation for making this possible.
Can you share this research opportunity?
Appearance Matters Conference 2026
The 11th Appearance Matters conference will take place betweenTuesday 9 June and Thursday 11 June 2026in Bristol, the home of the Centre for Appearance Research. The dynamic programme will include a range of symposia, oral presentations, posters, workshops and roundtable discussions. The conference will once again be hosted at the iconic City Hall. Keep an eye on the AM11 websiteand CAR’s social media platforms to stay informed about the latest updates.
The team at the Centre for Appearance Research in Bristol have launched a new website which gives easy access to a range of free evidence-based resources to support people with visible differences of any kind. It also offers support for parents. The website has been created with input from an advisory group of representatives from 12 members of the Appearance Collective. The resources available through the website include an app, an e-book, videos, booklets, websites and a board game. It includes resources for people with any kind of visible difference, and some that are specific to particular conditions, such as burns, eczema or craniofacial conditions. All resources on the Hub were developed with input from people with lived experience of visible differences, the Appearance Collective and health professionals and were then rigorously tested by the team at CAR. The website gives information about the research that has been conducted for each resource, much of which has been funded by the VTCT Foundation.
The team at CAR want to find out what people think of the website and how they use it. You can use this link to give your feedback and will have a chance to win an online shopping voucher https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57m45grMC7LHeWa