This week saw our first volunteers join us in the office to start packing our festive Smile Hampers to be sent out to 1,750 seriously ill children and their siblings in time for Christmas.
Britain’s Got Talent winner and Spread a Smile entertainer and Ambassador, Richard Jones plus one of our Young Ambassadors, Varun Shradhanand Mahatme were on hand on Monday morning to prepare gifts and help fill boxes alongside volunteers from our friends at McVities.
“It was such a fun day helping to pack Smile Hampers with fellow Ambassador Varun and some of the brilliant volunteers that give up their time every year to help make this initiative happen. As an Ambassador and a magician who regularly goes into hospital with the Spread a Smile team to help bring a little joy to seriously ill children, I’ve seen first-hand the difference the charity makes during some of the most difficult times of a child’s life. To know that the Smile Hampers will be going out in time for Christmas, spreading that little bit of extra happiness and wonder really is something special and I was delighted to be part of it.” Richard Jones
Each Smile Hamper is full of gifts hand-picked with each child in mind and designed to bring a little bit of festive cheer. We were delighted to welcome ITV London who joined us to film and help spread the word about Spread a Smile’s Smile Hamper initiative, interviewing Richard, Varun and Spread a Smile Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson. (Watch the film below). The feature was made possible thanks to Jamie Nagioff and Joseph Eskenazy from creative PR agency Ready10, who gave up their time pro bono to work with the Spread a Smile team to develop the media pitch and encourage support from the media.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported so far, including Richard, Varun, Jamie and Joseph, all of our brilliant volunteers and the companies and individuals who have generously donated money and gifts towards the hampers. Plus, to Helen Keenan and the team from ITV London for visiting, filming and helping to raise vital awareness about our work.
If you’d like to support our Smile Hamper initiative, you can buy gifts from our Amazon Gift List here. Or please donate £19 to help fund a bespoke Smile Hamper for a seriously ill child or their sibling. Thank you.
