Facial Palsy UK Patient Conference 2025

December 3, 2025

Thank you to everyone who attended our inaugural Facial Palsy UK Conference in November 2025!

Alder Hey Institute in the Park was a fantastic location for our inaugural Facial Palsy UK Patient Conference. We welcomed around 120 people to join us for a day of learning and sharing experiences.

There were medical presentations and lived experience Q&As on the topics of:

• The anatomy of the face (Hala Kanona)
• Specialist facial therapy and managing synkinesis (Catriona Neville and Karen Young)
• The role of Botox and surgeries (Charles Nduka)
• Management of dry eyes and eye surgeries (Ziyaad Sultan)
• Static facial surgeries (Charles Nduka)
• Dynamic facial surgeries (Tim Blackburn)
• Psychology and strategies to manage living with facial palsy (Corah Lewis)

We had facial massage demonstrations with Natalia Konieczny throughout the day.

Claire Baert joined us to demonstrate the IMPROVEfp app.

Lisa Beardsley presented the BlinkBalance magnetic eyelashes she is in the process of developing.

Abbie Coombs held an art therapy session, allowing attendees to use a variety of textures and materials to create a physical representation of how their faces feel.

The Men’s Panel welcomed men with facial palsy to discuss issues and to share information about the support our volunteers offer.

It provided an opportunity for Charles Nduka to present medical student, Elizabeth Stephenson, with her certificate for achieving first place in Facial Palsy UK’s inaugural Medical Student Prize Competition for her submission ‘Facial Palsy; so much more than the Face’.

Thank you to SCOPE Ophthalmics who sponsored the conference, and were available to discuss dry eye management with attendees throughout the day.

The conference allowed people with facial palsy to meet others on a similar journey. There were lots of conversations about shared frustrations, and a general feeling of acceptance and belonging. These are quotes from feedback we’ve received so far from attendees:

It was utterly brilliant

It was very personal and very professional at the same time

The enthusiastic welcome was such a good start – so easy for that to be impersonal

I loved it! Great idea. So helpful and encouraging. So friendly and supportive. Well organised.

A massive congratulations on a huge positive achievement.

Remembering Sheila

This conference is dedicated to the memory of our much-loved friend and volunteer, Sheila Fairclough, who sadly passed away in September 2023.

Sheila founded our Cheshire & Mersey Support Group along with specialist facial therapist, Helen Martin, in November 2016. She was passionate about improving the lives of others and it is testament to Sheila and Helen that our Cheshire & Mersey Support Group is now the largest with many returning members.

We are certain it would have brought Sheila immense joy to know that this event united the community she helped to build and continues to provide comfort, connection, and support to all those living with Facial Palsy.