THE HEALING FOUNDATION UK CENTRE FOR CLEFT RESEARCH
SUPPORTED BY VTCT

Following a substantial contribution from the Vocational Training Charitable Trust, the Healing Foundation will shortly begin the formal selection process to establish The Healing Foundation UK Centre for Cleft Research supported by VTCT.  We envisage a 10 year research investment worth up to £5,000,000 to address genetic, clinical and broader therapeutic issues of cleft lip and palate, in order to improve understanding of the condition and offer better treatments and support for patients and their families.

The Healing Foundation is a national fundraising charity championing the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding pioneering research into clinical and psychological healing techniques.  Other major research initiatives include;

• The Healing Foundation Centre (for Tissue Regeneration) at the University of Manchester – a £10,000,000, 25 year programme of research aimed at developing new scar-free and regenerative capabilities for the clinic.
• The Healing Foundation UK Centre for Burns Research – a multidisciplinary, £10,000,000, 25 year investment at Cardiff University, Morriston Hospital Swansea and Swansea University.
• The Healing Foundation Major Psychological Research Programme – hosted by the University of the West of England,  worth more than £500,000 over three years and due to conclude in 2009.

The VTCT is a large specialist awarding body offering a wide range of vocational qualifications in beauty therapy, hairdressing, health and fitness and more.

We envisage two parts to this research programme.  First, the establishment of a Gene Bank will help to explore the genetic and environmental factors contributing to cleft (and possibly other craniofacial anomalies).  It will provide a valuable tool for researchers and epidemiologists in pursuit of better understanding of the causes of and appropriate responses to cleft lip and palate.  Secondly, a major Clinical Research Programme will coordinate research projects across the United Kingdom to provide evidence based advances in the surgical and therapeutic treatments of cleft as well as improve the support and information available to the families of children affected.

The Healing Foundation’s total commitment, subject to fundraising progress, will be up to £5,000,000 with an initial commitment of £2,000,000 to establish the gene bank and early research projects.

Interest is invited from institutions able to host one or both of these elements.  It is expected that the Gene Bank will be established in close partnership with an NHS Clinical Cleft Unit but a view on co-location of the two elements will be taken by the expert selection panel after applications have been received and reviewed.  Full details of the research objectives and the criteria for a successful bid will be published in the formal application pack and made available in January 2009.

As with previous major awards, the Healing Foundation places great value on evidence of cooperation between respected Universities and clinical units, the potential for early and safe translation of research findings to the clinic, and innovative and realisable ‘match funding’ proposals to support the charity’s investment.

For further information or to discuss the submission process further, please contact Brendan Eley, Chief Executive, on 020 7869 6920.

New members join the Healing Foundation’s Executive Appeal Team

Four new members have recently joined the Executive Appeal Team, chaired by Sir Stuart Rose: Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group, Mr David Ross, Chairman of National Express Group and Co-Founder of The Carphone Warehouse, Mr Andrew Grant, Founder of Tulchan Communications and Mr Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive of BSkyB Ltd.

The Healing Foundation are pleased to acknowledge the generous support of Baugur Group, who have pledged £450,000 over three years towards the area of disfigurement and visible loss of function. Baugur Group is an international investment company, with investments primarily in retail but also in property and media, in Scandinavia and the UK.

Baugur Group employ over 75,000 people in 3,900 stores with a turnover of £9.8 billion; well known retail brands include Hamley’s, House of Fraser, Karen Millen, Matthew Williamson, Mappin and Webb, Coast and Whistles.

The Healing Foundation join Unicef Iceland and the Bill Clinton/ Sir Tom Hunter Carbon Offset Programme as Baugur Group’s official charities.

Beauty therapy charity donates £1 million for burns research in Wales. Vocational Training Charitable Trust’s first donation is largest to the Healing Foundation UK Centre for Burns Research.

A UK awarding body associated with hairdressing and beauty therapy is donating £1 million to support vital research at a major UK Centre for Burns Research based in Cardiff and Swansea. The first donation of its kind by The Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT), it is the largest single contribution to the pioneering research programme soon to start in South Wales.

The VTCT – a Government approved awarding body offering National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in the areas of Beauty Therapy, Hairdressing, Holistic & Complementary Therapies and Sports & Fitness – is supporting the appointment of the VTCT Professor of Burn Injury Study at the Healing Foundation UK Centre for Burns Research.  The Healing Foundation, a national charity funding medical research in the area of disfigurement, is establishing the Centre in partnership with Cardiff University, the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, and Swansea University.  It is the first major academic research Centre of its kind in the country.

The Professor, to be appointed later this year following an international search and selection process, will research the body’s immunological response to burns to better understand how the life-threatening inflammation and infection problems that follow major burns can be overcome.

Commenting on the donation, Peter Wren, Chief Executive of the VTCT, said, “Our work, and the careers of those we help to train in beauty therapy, is closely associated with appearance and beauty; about looking and feeling good.  It seems only right to put something back.  The area of disfigurement, and burns especially, is such an important, urgent and compelling cause.  We are delighted to be supporting the appointment of the VTCT Professor and be among the first to contribute to this major research initiative in South Wales”.

Welcoming the collaboration, Professor Nick Topley of Cardiff University’s Department of Nephrology, commented, “This gift from the VTCT marks a major milestone for the future of burns research.  It will support the VTCT Professor of Burn Injury Study for a minimum of 10 years, during which time I have no doubt that significant advances will be made in our understanding of major burn injuries.  It promises the hope of new treatments for burns survivors in the future, reducing the pain and disability caused and possibly saving many thousands of lives, worldwide, otherwise lost through burns”.

Former steelworker Wayne Barnes of Neath, survived severe burns in the Corus Port Talbot Steelworks explosion of 2001.  Welcoming the involvement of the VTCT he said, “I think it’s wonderful that this money is going to help improve treatments for people like me in the future.  I was very lucky to be treated at Morriston Hospital where the quality of care and the amazing skills of the surgeons helped me to pull through.  The work supported by the VTCT and the Healing Foundation, in Swansea and Cardiff, will make sure that the very best treatments are available for everyone in the future”.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, joined Healing Foundation ambassadors, research award recipients and special guests for an evening reception at Marks & Spencer headquarters.  To start the evening Stuart Rose introduced the new Healing Foundation video, produced specially by leading advertising agency RKCR/ Y&R.

Hundreds of thousands of people affected by disfigurement are not getting the information they need to help them deal with the psychological and social aspects of their condition according to new research.  Adapting psychologically and socially to looking different, or to a change in appearance is often one of the most difficult aspects of their lives.

Both patients and health professionals who took part in the research by the Picker Institute for the Healing Foundation said the NHS lacks the resources to provide good psychological support and rehabilitation following trauma or surgery.

Helen Magee, senior research associate at the Picker Institute, said: “People with all kinds of disfiguring conditions told us that it was important to them, but also difficult, to find information about how to deal with their emotions, manage social situations and get counselling.”

Professor Nichola Rumsey, Director of the Centre for Appearance Research, added: “This report highlights that there is a need for health professionals to focus on providing more information of a psycho-social nature to patients.”

Health professionals are at the centre of this information gap. All the patient groups – including people with cancers of the head and neck, people with burns, and people with conditions like psoriasis - said health professionals are their most important source of information, but often do not communicate well, and fail to ‘signpost’ them to further good sources of information.

Brendan Eley, Chief Executive of the Healing Foundation commented:  “This research demonstrates that whilst there is a wide range of materials available to patients there are some real areas for improvement in information provision.  Anyone can be affected by disfigurement and the causes vary widely from congenital conditions to disease and trauma.  Through research like this we are better able to identify what patients want and need.”

James Partridge, Chief Executive of Changing Faces, the charity that supports and represents people with disfigurements, welcomed the findings:  “It is vital that the information necessary to support people living with disfigurement to manage the physical, psychological and practical consequences is provided in the right way at the right time and is made as accessible as possible.”

The report was funded by the GUS Charitable Trust and involved extensive qualitative and quantitative research.  The findings will be used to inform wider debate among the healthcare and voluntary sector on the provision of information for people with disfiguring conditions, a group whose access to information is profoundly affected by the psychological impact of their condition. 

Supporting cross-agency cooperation, the Healing Foundation is underpinning further work in this area and will be organising a national, two day conference for health professionals during 2008, exploring the broad issues of psychological adjustment to disfigurement and information needs.

Other findings from the research were that:

• those people most concerned about their appearance were found to have the greatest information requirements
• there is a need for more of the available information to be made accessible to more people
• visual information – such as photos showing what patients may look like after surgery – is highly valued by those who have used it, even though many patients say beforehand that they may not want it
• peer group support is very highly valued for reassurance and practical advice

The Healing Foundation Marks & Spencer Reception, 30th November 2006, hosted by Mr Stuart Rose and attended by our Patron, Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup kindly spoke, along with Stuart Rose and Healing Foundation Ambassador Susan Harrison, a survivor of the 7/7 bombings. Also in attendance were Healing Foundation Lead Ambassador, Simon Weston, OBE, Pam Warren, a survivor of the Paddington Rail Crash and The Rt Hon the Lord Patten of Barnes, Chairman of the Healing Foundation. The evening provided an excellent opportunity for present and future supporters of the Healing Foundation to meet with our key figures and learn more about the importance and urgency of our work.

New award to Cardiff University and Morriston Hospital Swansea to establish UK’s first and only major academic Centre for Burns Research

Cardiff University and Morriston Hospital, Swansea, have successfully competed against universities and hospitals throughout the UK, to host the prestigious Healing Foundation UK Centre for Burns Research.   The award signals a 20 year commitment, worth more than £10 million, between the Healing Foundation (a national charity funding research into all aspects of disfiguring conditions), Cardiff University, Swansea NHS Trust and Swansea University.

The Healing Foundation UK Centre for Burns Research will be established at Cardiff University’s School of Medicine at its Heath Park Campus and at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital Swansea.  The Centre will focus on all aspects of research aimed at improving the treatment and long-term support for survivors of burns, addressing issues such as infection control and immunology, inflammation following major burns and improved understanding of scar formation.  It will also focus on important issues such as the psycho-social aspects of living with burn scars, long-term rehabilitation and prevention.

The Cardiff/Swansea team fought off UK-wide competition from leading universities and burns units including the University of Manchester, the University of London and the highly regarded St Andrew’s Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns in Chelmsford.  The bid was assessed by an international Selection Panel, Chaired by the Healing Foundation’s Chairman of Research & Development, Professor Sir John Temple.  The Panel also included, Professor Sir Peter Morris, former President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Nuffield Professor of Surgery Emeritus at the University of Oxford, as well as leading burns clinicians and scientists from France, the Netherlands and the UK. 

Brendan Eley, Chief Executive of the Healing Foundation commented, “This award represents a major step forward in our goal to improve the treatment, care and long term understanding of burn injuries.  The Centre, once established, will provide national and international focus for burns research, education and prevention.   The Cardiff/Swansea Centre will become a global leader, improving the outcome for patients, enhancing our understanding of burns and offering hope to thousands of people, worldwide.”

Welcoming the award, Dr Brian Gibbons, Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Health & Social Services said, “This award is great news for Wales.  It is a mark of how highly regarded the academic team in Cardiff University is and how respected the clinicians and care staff of the Welsh Centre for Burns & Plastic Surgery have become.  This is a great example of collaboration between Cardiff University and Swansea NHS Trust which has been backed by the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks at the Welsh Assembly Government.  It shows the huge advantages that can be gained when research centres, clinical networks and NHS Trusts work together to benefit Welsh patients.  The Welsh Assembly Government welcomes this investment and we look forward to working with the Healing Foundation, Cardiff University and Morriston Hospital to help those affected by burn injuries.”

The Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, Dr David Grant, said, “This is an important development bringing real benefits to patients throughout Wales and beyond, which is why Cardiff University is supporting it with a £5 million investment in new staff and an investment of more than £4Million in new and refurbished laboratories.  The size and range of expertise in the School of Medicine, and its strong collaboration with our Schools of Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing and others, gives the University the critical mass which is essential for the development of health care in close partnership with NHS Wales.”

Professor Gareth Morgan, Acting Head of the School of Medicine, Swansea University, said: "We are delighted that the School's highly successful partnership with Swansea NHS Trust has been joined by Cardiff University to win Wales this prestigious internationally refereed UK-wide competition.  We will now move on the appointment of a Clinical Lecturer in Medical Microbiology who will work closely with the Healing Foundation Professor of Burn Injury Study to advance knowledge in the area of burns and wound infection."

Mr William Dickson, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Director of the Welsh Centre for Burns & Plastic Surgery at Morriston added, “This prestigious award - the first and only Chair of Burn Injury Study in the UK - will put Wales at the international forefront of burns research.  The Welsh Centre for Burns & Plastic Surgery and Swansea NHS Trust are committed to working with Cardiff University, the School of Medicine Swansea University, and the Healing Foundation to deliver real benefit to patients with burns both in the UK and worldwide.”

Stuart Rose, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, has become the Appeal Chairman of disfigurement research charity, the Healing Foundation. Rose, who has led the M&S turnaround since May 2004, takes on the fundraising role following the retirement of David Jones, former Chairman of NEXT plc, who has overseen the charity’s appeal since 2002.

The Healing Foundation, set up in 1999 to support research into disfigurement, visible loss of function and scarring, has raised over £6 million through a major donor programme that began at the end of 2002. The charity has established a Centre of Tissue Regeneration at the University of Manchester, has begun a major 3-year psychological research programme in Bristol and is soon to establish the UK Centre for Burns Research.

Brendan Eley, Chief Executive of the Healing Foundation said of the appointment, “Stuart will bring a unique energy, passion and flair to the Healing Foundation’s ‘big gift’ fundraising drive. David Jones is tough act to follow but we are delighted to be so well served by two, such iconic business figures”.

Rose, for whom this is his first major public fundraising role, said “How could I say no? This is such an important cause - burns, scarring following trauma, children with congenital abnormalities. The skill of reconstructive surgeons, throughout the world, amazes me. I’m committed to help through my contacts and friends, and raise another £6 million to support more research”.

Mr Darryl Dunn , a plastic surgeon studying at the University of Bristol, has been appointed as the first Healing Foundation Michael Brough Research Fellow. The award is for two years and will allow Mr Dunn to pursue research in better understanding the spread of Malignant Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.  This award, jointly supported by the British Association of Plastic Surgeons, was made possible by donations made in memory of Michael Brough, the plastic surgeon who founded the Healing Foundation. 

Click here for more information.

A future without scars: Professor appointed and major funding announced

Launch of the pioneering Healing Foundation Centre at The University of Manchester

Enrique Amaya has been appointed the UK’s first Professor of Tissue Regeneration to lead a pioneering £10million initiative at the University of Manchester investigating wound healing and tissue regeneration.

The Healing Foundation Centre marks the beginning of a 25 year commitment between the Healing Foundation - a national charity funding research into all aspects of disfiguring conditions - and the University of Manchester’s Faculty of Life Sciences.

Professor Amaya’s work will focus on wound healing and tissue regeneration in frog embryos. Frog embryos share the human embryo’s ability to heal wounds without scars in a matter of hours. Frogs also have the ability to regenerate tissue, including tails and limbs. By investigating the regenerative capabilities of these animals, ways of improving regenerative capacity in humans will be sought; the underlying genetic and cell biological mechanisms in frogs are essentially the same as those in humans.  Professor Amaya will be working closely with plastic and reconstructive surgeons at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hospital.

Professor Amaya comments, “With the new tools and technologies we have at our disposal, I hope we will be able to make quick progress in our understanding of the basic biology of healing and regeneration.  Within this generation, it will be possible to develop new treatments for amputees, survivors of major burns or trauma and those who are left with scars following surgery, disease or birth defect.  The Healing Foundation Centre is dedicated to a future where wounds heal without scars and perhaps even new limbs can be either partially or completely regrown.”

Olivia Giles survived Meningococcal Septicaemia at the age of 36 and lost the lower half of both arms and legs due to gangrene.  Welcoming the initiative, she said, "Thanks to the skill of my surgeon and his courageous use of pioneering surgical techniques, my elbow and knee joints were saved.  As a result I am able to live an independent life. Without recent advances in medical science, I may not have survived.  Further research into wound healing and ultimately perhaps limb regeneration is incredibly valuable and will have huge implications not only for the quality of life of people like me in the future but most importantly increase the capability of our medics and scientists to save more lives”.

Professor Sir John Temple, Research Chairman of the Healing Foundation, noted, “No other organisation is doing more to push the barriers of scientific knowledge so firmly in favour of those with disfigurement or visible loss of function.  This unique partnership between the Healing Foundation and the University of Manchester is exciting and ambitious.  The potential benefits for literally millions of people worldwide, are enormous”.

The Healing Foundation was established in 1999 to champion the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques.

Press Coverage (click the publication titles to view full articles)
The Guardian / The Times / The Telegraph / BBC News
Daily Express / The Sun / Daily Mail / Evening Standard

What would you do if your appearance was suddenly altered forever?

Revolutionary new study into the psychology of disfigurement

A new charity called the Healing Foundation has awarded a record-breaking half a million pounds to the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol to fund a new study into the psychology of disfigurement. This is the largest single investment in a study of this type that has ever taken place, not only in the UK, but in Europe. The study will provide valuable insights into why some people cope with disfigurement better than others. This information can then be used to help those who experience difficulty coming to terms with their altered appearance.

Mrs Pam Warren, survivor of the Paddington rail crash in October 1999 commented, ”The treatment of physical injuries is well understood and a great deal of time and effort has been spent on understanding the problems associated with mental trauma, but coping with disfigurement has, I think, largely been overlooked. The ground breaking work of the Healing Foundation in this regard has my wholehearted support. I know from personal experience that it is not how the world looks at me but how I look at the world that matters.”

Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are affected by visible disfigurement, whether due to congenital abnormalities, disease or scarring from accidents. The psychological and social impact of having a disfigurement can be enormous and life-changing, especially in today’s image-conscious society which can marginalise those who appear different. Alongside any accompanying physical obstacles, adapting psychologically to the change in appearance is often one of the most difficult aspects of rehabilitation and recovery. However, up until now, very little research has been carried out to understand the mechanisms of this process. This study will therefore make a major difference in terms of gaining a better understanding of how to help patients go through adjusting to disfigurement.

Professor Nichola Rumsey, the director of the study, explains the ideas behind the research. “It appears from research already carried out that the differences in adjustment between individuals are not related to the severity or cause of the condition. We want to find out why it is that one person can adapt very quickly and lead a full and active life, while another might end up avoiding social situations. This information should enable us to help those who find adapting to a disfigurement difficult, to adapt more quickly.”

The Research team will be working with hospital clinics and GPs and will be looking at a whole range of disfiguring conditions including skin conditions, such as acne, head and neck cancers, burns, amputations and hand surgery, as well as birth marks such as port wine stains. The study will involve around 1,500 people from the South West, London and the Sheffield/Bradford area.  They will be asked about their feelings, as well as how they manage with a ‘visible difference’, what support they have had and how they feel about their appearance.  They will also be asked to comment on how they see their difference, how noticeable they think it is and how they think others see it. 

The Healing Foundation is a unique new professional and scientifically respected organisation that provides funds for research into disfigurement. It was established to champion the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques.

Press Coverage (click the publication titles to view full articles)
BBC News / The Telegraph / The Times

For information about taking part in this study, visit the Centre for Appearance Research website or contact Dr James Daniel on James.Daniel@uwe.ac.uk, telephone 0117 328 3975 or Liz Payne on Elizabeth3.Payne@uwe.ac.uk, telephone 0117 328 3913.

Mr Chris Baldwin, Healing Foundation and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh joint Research Fellow, will be studying the potential to develop a synthetic dermal skin replacement. He says “the ability of a skin graft to take depends on a number of factors including blood vessel growth. I hope that his research will lead to the development of a new product which actively promotes angiogenesis (the synthesis of new blood vessels), a crucial step in wound healing”. If successful, this project will transform the outcome of chronic wounds, in particular burns, accelerating wound healing, reducing mortality and improving scarring and function.

Professor Sir John Temple, Chairman of the Healing Foundation’s Research Council, said “this research promises to lead the way to a change in the treatment of severe burns. Such fellowships offer clinicians a thorough grounding in research techniques which will remain with them throughout their careers”.

For more information on this fellowship please click here.

Mr Chris Milner of the University of Leicester beat off stiff competition to secure this prestigious award worth up to £50,000 a year for two years. He will be studying novel targets for the prevention of endothelial (blood vessel) leakage in severe wounds. Commenting on the project, Mr Milner said, “major burn injury produces inflammation that affects the entire body leading to the leakage of fluid from smaller blood vessels into the surrounding tissue. This is very dangerous as it can stop organs from working properly and it contributes to the mortality associated with extensive burns”. He will be studying a control mechanism which may counteract this that takes place within the vessel wall linings of cells and involving a protein called VE-PTP.

Martyn Coomer, secretary of the Royal College of Surgeons Research Board said “We are delighted to be continuing the College’s important partnership with the Healing Foundation, continuing to invest in first class clinical research”.

The Healing Foundation Buckingham Palace Reception, 18^th May 2005, attended by our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. David Jones announced on the evening that the Foundation has raised some £5 million towards the Appeal Target of £12 million, adding that “We have achieved so much in the two and a half years since our launch, all due to the fantastic and overwhelming support that we have received. However, there is still more that needs to be done to make a real and lasting impact in the field of disfigurement and loss of function.”

HRH The Countess of Wessex and David Jones CBE, Appeal Chairman

HRH The Countess of Wessex talking to David Roodyn, Trustee and Ambassador of the Healing Foundation and Maya Adcock

The Countess of Wessex with Hugh Twiss, Honorary Treasurer and his wife Clare

Novel techniques that could see blood vessels develop in laboratory- grown skin have been pioneered by a Healing Foundation Research Fellow in one of the charity’s first ever projects.

Commenting on the research which was supported by the Healing Foundation in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Mr Parbinder Sahota of the University of Sheffield said, “this research, funded by the Healing Foundation, will help both patients suffering from extensive burns and those requiring reconstructive surgery. It will also have relevance to conventional skin grafts enhancing knowledge about how to re-establish blood vessels in the skin". Further research is underway at the University of Sheffield, to take these findings forward.

Dr Wendy Edwards, the Healing Foundation Research and Training Manager, said “important advances are being made in understanding the biology of blood vessel growth, a process which is crucial for successful skin grafting. This knowledge will in turn lead to better treatments for burn patients in the future”.

For a detailed final report on this project please click here.