Installation in Edinburgh will have 'mystery hand' giving out free gifts on behalf of Smile Train charity

Locals in the Capital will be offered free gifts from a mystery hand, at a new interactive billboard installation popping up in Edinburgh next week.

Virgin Experience Days Gift Cards, Anastacia Tour Tickets, David Walliams Books, everlasting flower bouquets and Edinburgh Fringe Kidzone tickets will be up for grabs on Castle Street.

The interactive billboard, operating between 2.30pm-5.30pm on Monday, July 11 and 10am-1pm on Tuesday, July 12 will feature a giant digital clock along with the words ‘When the clock hits three, take a smile for free.’ Every three minutes, when the clock has reached its ‘03:00’ target, a hand will emerge from a hole and give out a free gift to one lucky member of the public – in a bid to get them beaming.

The billboard installation is being launched by Smile Train, the world’s largest clef charity, during July – which is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month.

Every three minutes, a baby is born around the world with a cleft lip or palate; a serious medical condition which cause affect their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and smile. The charity hopes to highlight this figure to the public and encourage them to consider the power of smiling.

Gifts for all ages have been donated by a mixture of local businesses and major brands. Other prizes include Escape Room and Magic Bubblers tickets from the Department of Magic, tickets to The Muppets Christmas Carol – Live with Orchestra – at Usher Hall, nutritionally complete snacks from Huel, 3D printed vitamins from Nourished, and a Therabody Wave Duo vibrating roller massage ball.

Ian Vallance, Smile Train UK Director, said: “Every three minutes another baby is born somewhere around the world, struggling to breathe, speak, and eat due to a cleft. Our billboard installation on Castle Street intends to educate more people in the UK about the impact that cleft can have on children, particularly in countries where treatment isn’t readily available, whilst helping to spread some smiles in the process.

A mystery hand will give out 'free smiles’ on Castle Street on behalf of children’s cleft charity, Smile Train

“A big thank you to all of the brands and businesses who have graciously donated to us for this event. There are some fantastic gifts to be given out, so we encourage people to get down to Castle Street early to be in with a chance of receiving one – along with some information about Smile Train and our work. Together we can change the world one smile at a time!”

The installation coincides with the 14th International Cleft Congress, Cleft 2022, which will be taking place between July 11 – 15 in Edinburgh this year. This gathering of global cleft experts, the largest of its kind, takes place every four years.

A cleft is the most common facial difference globally, affecting around 1 in 700 babies. In the UK, cleft surgery is carried out within the first 12 months of a baby’s life by the NHS.

However, hundreds of thousands of children living in resource-poor communities worldwide do not have access to cleft treatment .

Smile Train, which was founded in 199, has supported safe and quality cleft care for 1.5+ million children.