For International Day of Play on 11 June, the Spread a Smile team took to the road to make a special in-person visit to Southampton Children’s Hospital, bringing moments of joy and laughter to the wards.
We were joined by our wonderful friends at Hasbro, who generously volunteered their time and donated toys to give out to patients and be used in communal play sessions, to help make the day as fun as possible.
Spread a Smile magicians Lee and Nick, Fairy Kirsten and singer Tasha all brought the usual Spread a Smile magic to the visit, reaching over 50 patients across the wards and spreading smiles, happiness and laughter.
Fiona Delement, Health Play Specialist at Southampton Children’s Hospital said,
“The Spread a Smile visit was fantastic! Your team was amazing, so kind, caring and completely understood the way hospitals work. They were patient and understanding and fantastic at their jobs. They definitely did what it said on their t-shirts – the smiles were great to see, and we had such lovely comments from staff and families. My highlights were hearing belly laughter from the children who weren’t keen to start with and the little girl in ED who asked if she could sing for us.”
At Spread a Smile, we recognise the important role of play for children and young people in hospital. During times of isolation and vulnerability, when access to play might be limited, we aim to provide moments of distraction, and happiness. We see play as a key part of their well-being and recovery.
Our sincere thanks to Hasbro for their generosity, both in their toy donations and the support of their volunteers on the day. We are extremely proud of this wonderful partnership.
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