Spread a Smile today announces its latest hospital partner, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust which cares for people in south west London and north east Surrey. Spread a Smile will work closely with two of its hospitals, Epsom Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children. Both sites treat seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment for a range of everyday and highly complex and specialist conditions and illnesses. These patients, along with their families are invited to join the Spread a Smile family and benefit from their services.
Chloe Smith, Ward Manager – Casey Ward, Epsom Hospital said of the partnership, “Currently on Casey Ward there are 16 children of all ages that are feeling poorly and the look on the children’s faces when Spread a Smile visits the ward is so special, it is truly priceless. It gives the children and their families a lift and offers some positivity during these difficult times.”
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust joins 29 other major and speciality NHS hospitals and three hospice partners already supported by Spread a Smile. The Spread a Smile team of talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend quality time with patients in hospital through one-to-one visits and group sessions. Patients and their families will also be able to access virtual online events and activity sessions, including art clubs, balloon modelling, music lessons and more, enabling the charity to see and support as many people as possible. All with the aim of spreading hundreds of smiles and a lot of happiness to children undergoing treatment for serious illness and their families.
Children at both Epsom Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children will also be able to join special themed virtual activity days, via iPad, celebrating seasonal occasions such as Christmas, benefit from regular treat drops and enjoy entertainer visits scheduled throughout the year, all giving seriously ill children and their families the opportunity to join in with fun and exciting experiences that they may otherwise not have access to.
Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “We are delighted to be working with Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust to provide support for children and young people at both Epsom Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children. During our monthly in-person visits to each hospital, our entertainers will be spreading smiles around the wards to as many seriously ill children and their families as possible. We are looking forward to supporting the hospital teams to bring a much needed distraction to patients under their care.”
To find out more about our work and hospital / hospice partners, please click here.
