- Changing Faces (charity)
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Changing Faces is a British charity supporting and representing children, young people and adults who have disfigurements to the face, hands or body.
The charity was founded in 1992 by James Partridge OBE, who sustained severe burns injuries in a car fire when he was 18 years old. Partridge is also a Trustee of Acid Survivors Trust International.
Today, Changing Faces provides psychological support for people who have disfigurements through advice, information, counselling and workshops across the UK. They also provide advice to health professionals, teachers and employers and run training courses and study days to enable professionals to develop effective clinical services, inclusive school curricula and clear equal opportunities and training policies.
Modern reconstructive surgery and other medical treatments can be effective in making a disfigurement much less noticeable but a disfigurement can rarely be removed completely. Some scarring, asymmetry or change in complexion usually remains. Changing Faces complements medical and surgical interventions by addressing the psychological and social challenges posed by disfigurement. All their services are underpinned by academic research and informed by service users including a Young People's Council.
Their Patrons include Simon Weston OBE and Benjamin Zephaniah. James Partridge is also a Trustee of Acid Survivors Trust International.
In 2008, Changing Faces launched the Face Equality campaign, which aims to ensure that people with disfigurement are treated without prejudice or discrimination. The campaign targets employers, schools, health care professionals, the media, policy makers and the general public, and has used posters featuring adults and children with facial disfigurement that have appeared on the London Underground and across England[1].
In November 2009, Partridge will present the lunchtime news bulletins on UK television channel Five all week. "We hope it will make viewers examine their own prejudices" commented Five News chief Chris Shaw.[2]
References
- ^ "Meet the stars of a new CBBC documentary," The Guardian. Friday 5 March 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2010/mar/05/cbbc-billboard-kids-changing-faces?INTCMP=SRCH
- ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2723713/Man-with-facial-disfigurement-set-to-read-C5-news.html#ixzz0WXiDRfQO
External links
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