Rory Bremner – the satirist, writer and impressionist – as well as actress Michelle Dockery and Julian Fellowes, now Lord Fellowes of West Stafford, have all agreed to become Patrons of Changing Faces, the UK’s leading charity that supports and represents people with disfigurements.
Lord Fellowes, writer of the BAFTA winning series, Downton Abbey, said “I am very proud to be allowed an involvement with Changing Faces, an extraordinary organisation for extraordinary people”.
They join other public figures who are Patrons of the charity like Jan Ravens, Bill Simons, Simon Weston and Benjamin Zephaniah.
James Partridge, Chief Executive of Changing Faces, said: "We are thrilled to have Julian, Michelle and Rory giving their support to Changing Faces – all three are very well respected in their different fields and have so much to offer the charity.
“Julian has already mentioned us in his maiden speech in the House of Lords, Michelle came to our recent annual reception much to the delight of many especially members of our Young People’s Council – and Rory was again the star of a phenomenal fund-raising Gala held in February in Guernsey.
“Changing Faces is looking forward to working closely with them in the years ahead.”
Changing Faces is a UK Registered Charity launched in 1992 by James Partridge OBE, DSc (Hon), who sustained severe burn injuries following a car accident at the age of 18. The charity supports and represents people with disfigurements of the face or body from any cause.
Changing Faces employs a team of specialists who offer emotional support, practical advice and social skills strategies to children, young people and adults who have facial of body disfigurements and their parents and families. The help enables them to manage public reactions and succeed in every part of their lives. The charity also offers a consultancy and training service to health professionals, teachers and employers on best inclusive practice in teaching, recruiting or providing customer service for people with disfigurements. It also raises public awareness and campaigns for social change.
Over 1 million people in the UK have a disfigurement to the face or body. Over 500,000 people have disfigurements to the face – one in every 111. Disfigurement can affect anyone, at any time or at any age. A disfigurement may be present at birth as a result of a birthmark or a craniofacial condition. Scarring, paralysis and other disfigurements can also be acquired following an accident, violence, an eye or skin condition, a surgical mistake, or cancer surgery.
Find out more here.
