OPSA (Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal)

Ariel Bruce supports OPSA, the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal. OPSA provide vital training to doctors in Pakistan as well as life changing operations for children born with facial abnormalities.

Read more about the work OPSA do by  clicking here.

£50,000 raised for OPSA Charity

On 14th March 2020, the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal (OPSA) raised £50,000 at the OPSA ‘Behind a Smile’ Charity Fundraising Evening.

The event was a tremendous success and attended by many wonderful advocates of the life-changing surgery provided by OPSA. The facial surgery enabled through OPSA continues to transform the lives of many babies and children in Pakistan. The money raised through the generous donations by fundraiser attendees will provide an extraordinary opportunity for babies and children in Pakistan to receive the medical attention that they deserve and the ability to live a dignified and fulfilling existence.

Ariel was thrilled to be there alongside all the OPSA Charity Trustees, the Lord Mayor Kingston upon Hull and the fabulous Lady Dodd who donated £10,000 on behalf of the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation. The attendees were also treated to a marvellous video message by the reigning Miss England World 2019 Bhasha Mukherjee.

Ariel is delighted at the success of the OPSA ‘Behind a Smile’ Charity Fundraising Evening and continues to support all of the tremendous work provided by the OPSA Charity.

OPSA March Cleft Camp In Pakistan

On March 9th 2019, Ariel Bruce, in her role as charity Trustee, accompanied the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal (OPSA) team on their March ‘Cleft Camp’ to Gujrat, Pakistan. This week long surgical camp sees teams of volunteer surgeons and staff from the UK & Ireland traveling to The Punjab Region to deliver life saving facial surgery to impoverished babies and children in the region.

In Pakistan, facial abnormalities, including cleft lip and palate, are not routinely fixed at birth like in many other countries. The time and effort given up by the OPSA team allows thousands of poor an underprivileged children the chance at a normal childhood.

For the March Cleft Camp the OPSA team was able to do this by securing the help of a small film crew from Goldsmith’s University. With full access to the camp, the film crew were able to get some fantastic footage of the team hard at work as well as interviews with the families effected.

The OPSA surgical team spend the majority of the week operating, often from sun up until sun down, to see as many patients as possible. They were however joined by a very special guest during this camp, in the form of His Excellency President Mr Masood Khan, President of Azad Kashmir. The President attended a special lunch and congratulated the OPSA team on their hard work and life changing operations.

OPSA Ambassador Kate Adie Awarded BAFTA Fellowship

OPSA Ambassador & friend of Ariel’s, Kate Adie CBE, was this week awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honour that can be bestowed on someone for their work in Film and Television.

Kate Adie has been a BBC journalist and correspondent for 40 years, best known for her fearless work reporting from war zones and covering the Iranian Embassy siege. Ariel was delighted to accompany Kate to the ceremony and watch her pick up the award.

Chair of Bafta Jane Lush said of Kate:

 “A truly ground-breaking news journalist, being one of a very small number of women working to report the news from hostile environments around the world. Throughout her career, she has brought audiences to the centre of the story by fearlessly reporting from the ground, whilst clearly and concisely explaining the complex issues to audiences at home. We are delighted to be celebrating her stellar career at this year’s ceremony; she is a true trailblazer and very deserving of the Fellowship Award.”

Kate & Ariel work together as an Ambassador & Trustee respectively for OPSA, the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal.  OPSA run medical camps for children and young people born with facial abnormalities in Pakistan. You can learn more about OPSA’s vital work by clicking on this link – OPSA Charity.