On Wednesday 13th June, Spread a Smile had the pleasure of taking well known TV personality and actress Mel Giedroyc to University College Hospital for a very special visit. Mel is best known for co-hosting a series of well known TV shows, with her fantastic friend Sue Perkins, most famously The Great British Bake Off and more recently The Generation Game, and Mel has recently appeared on stage performing in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, having received rave reviews.
Mel first heard about Spread a Smile’s work when she presented the Children in Need appeal show on the BBC back in November 2017. We are lucky enough to receive funding from Children in Need and they made a film about our work for the appeal show, featuring the gorgeous and inspirational Vanessa Moss.
From the moment Mel arrived at UCLH yesterday, nurses, doctors, play specialists, parents and patients warmed to her straight away. Spread a Smile co-founder, Vanessa Crocker, who joined the visit said “Mel has a lovely sunny disposition and it was wonderful to see her sharing a laugh and a joke with patients and spreading smiles wherever she went. Everyone was keen to spend time and have photos taken with Mel, and she was so generous to give so much of her time to Spread a Smile, to which we are so incredibly grateful.”
Spread a Smile magician, Nick Einhorn, impressed Mel on the day with his magic. Nick, who has been part of the Spread a Smile team for a number of years, produced a red handkerchief out of one boys’ bed covers before proceeding to release Mel’s wedding ring from her finger, place it onto some string and then move it straight onto his own finger! Luckily she got it back when the trick was finished! Spontaneous poet, Judge, was also at UCLH for the visit and even made up an on the spot poem for Mel.
