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Gabrielle Devine

Enewsletter spread a smile

September 2025 e-newsletter

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Our September e-newsletter is here!  

We’ve had another incredible month, packed with family events, amazing fundraising efforts, and so many smiles.  

We had the pleasure of welcoming some of the families we support to wonderful theatre trips, including 101 Dalmatians and The Lion King, complete with a pre-theatre party including magic, face painting, music and delicious treats.  

We also hosted a special evening to celebrate the incredible NHS healthcare professionals we work with. We were delighted to give these professionals a chance to be on the receiving end of some magic, a way for us to show our heartfelt appreciation for all they do.  

We were pleased to speak at the inaugural BizzFest as their official charity partner, and we also had partners hosting amazing events such as the Insurance Dinner and the Compass Carter TB100.  

We also announced some exciting events: Entertainer Variety Show on 23 October, and our Comedy Night hosted by Suzi Ruffell on 17 November.  

Last but no means least, we shared the news that after many years of dedicated service as Trustee and Co-Founder, our much-loved Josephine Segal, has decided that the time is right to step back from her role on the Board and her day-to-day involvement with Spread a Smile.

Find out more in our September e-news here.  

Sign up to our e-news here to get our e-newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every month.  

Making connections at BizzFest 2025

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We recently had the pleasure of being selected as a charity partner for the inaugural BizzFest – a dynamic new networking event designed to inspire, connect, and propel business growth. It was an incredible day, bringing together young founders and teams for a daytime conference followed by an evening festival.

Our Partnerships Manager, Rosie Perkins, spoke to attendees and guests about Spread a Smile and the charity’s work and inspiring opportunities to develop bespoke and mutually beneficial partnerships. Rosie was also joined by one of our brilliant magicians, who offered a glimpse of the joy and fun the charity brings to the young patients in hospital.

Partnering with Spread a Smile is a fantastic way for businesses to achieve their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives. These partnerships not only give back to the community but also help to inspire teams and boost morale. At Spread a Smile, we offer various packages for companies to get involved, from fundraising and event opportunities to bespoke volunteering days, such as helping to pack 2,000 Smile Hampers to be sent to seriously ill children and their siblings in time for Christmas.

At Spread a Smile, we rely completely on the support of generous companies, trusts and individuals to continue our work spreading smiles across the country when they are needed most. We are extremely grateful to everyone at BizzFest for giving us the opportunity to share our work and raise much needed awareness amongst such an ambitious and inspiring group of people.

If you are interested in exploring ways your company can work with Spread a Smile, please reach out to Lucy Chesney, our Head of Partnerships, at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org.

The Lion King Spread a Smile Theatre Trip 2025

A Day of Pride at The Lion King

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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The team at Spread a Smile recently had the pleasure of welcoming 15 young patients and their families to watch The Lion King at London’s Lyceum Theatre as part of our family events programme. It was an incredible day out for the families who joined us, offering them a chance to enjoy a fun day out away from the day-to-day worries an stress that often accompany serious illness.

Our guests were treated to a special pre-show party in the Ambassadors Lounge with pizza, Lola’s cupcakes, snacks and of course entertainment from Spread a Smile’s talented entertainers including magic, fairies, guitarist, face painting and arts and crafts – plus a Lion King themed quiz! As always, the room was filled with so much happiness and it really set the scene before our families headed in to the theatre to watch the show.

The families then headed into the theatre to enjoy the show. They got ice creams in the interval and then a special treat after the show with a brilliant meet and greet with Simba, Nala and Scar from the cast! Seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces was a perfect end to the day.

The magic of our family events is best captured by the families who attend them, and Caroline, a mother who joined us for the day with her children, shared this message:  “I just wanted to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to everybody at Spread a Smile for the day out at The Lion King. We were all definitely smiling at the end of the day and the whole family had a great time.  We really appreciated the team and being made to feel so special. Thank you! “

Every year, Spread a Smile organises a calendar of family focused events which aim to support young patients, their parents, carers and siblings and bring moments of respite, joyful experiences and enduring memories at the most challenging of times. We are so grateful to everyone at the Lyceum Theatre and the cast of The Lion King for their wonderful support and helping to make the day so special. Also, to Lola’s Cupcakes for providing such delicious treats.

We couldn’t continue to provide these events without the support and generosity of our donors, fundraisers and corporate partners. To find out more about how you can get involved and support our vital work, please take a look here . Thank you.

 

 

 

comedy Night 2025 (2)

Comedy Night with Suzi Ruffel

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We’re delighted to announce that the annual Spread a Smile Comedy Night, hosted and curated by the charity’s Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, will return to The Comedy Store, London on Monday 17 November 2025.

Sponsored by Texel Foundation and Enra, this will be Spread a Smile’s sixth annual Comedy Night. A highlight in the events calendar, this very special evening will welcome a host of famously funny faces to The Comedy Store stage, with the full line-up to be announced soon.

Tickets are on sale now and all proceeds will help us spread even more smiles to seriously ill children and young people in hospital.

In November 2024 Suzi was joined by the amazing Tom Allen, Nish Kumar, Chantel Nash, Jack Skipper and Ania Magliano for a fantastic evening of laughs, smiles and also magic, thanks to a special appearance from former BGT winner, the military mind reader Richard Jones. So far over £100,000 has been raised through this brilliant event, helping to fund our work spreading smiles in 39 NHS hospitals and 6 hospices across the country.

Buy your tickets here

Event: Spread a Smile Comedy Night
Date: Monday 17 November 2025
Venue: The Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon St, London SW1Y 4EE
Ticket price: £30

Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter to be the first to hear news on the line up as it’s announced.

 

 

CWCF dragon boat race spread a smile 2025

Canary Wharf Contractors Fund Dragon Boat Race

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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In August 2025, we joined Canary Wharf Contractors Fund (CWCF) for their brilliant annual Dragon Boat Race, joining the fun in a boat filled with team members from their 10 chosen charities.

It was an incredible day filled with so much laughter and healthy competition, with 30 boats racing down the River Thames in London and helping to raise vital funds to support the event charity partners, including Spread a Smile.

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive took part in the race, saying, “It was a real privilege to row alongside other organisations from the charity sector and to see first-hand the impact that Canary Wharf Contractors Fund (CWCF) is having for such a range of brilliant causes.

“CWCF has generously supported Spread a Smile since 2018, helping to spread hundreds of smiles to seriously ill children and young people and enabling us to reach new audiences and meet many new friends for the charity. Their backing – along with the introductions they’ve made for us – has been invaluable.

“We’re proud to work with such a dedicated and supportive company and team and look forward to achieving so much more together.”

A huge thank you to everyone involved with this special day for their hard work and support.

Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter here to receive our latest news directly to your inbox.

 

gavin maggs children with cancer

Welcoming Gavin Maggs – Children with Cancer UK

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile has been Children with Cancer UK’s charity partner since December 2023 and last month we were delighted to welcome their new CEO, Gavin Maggs, to a special tea party for the families we support at Riding House Café in Bloomsbury.

Gavin met Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson, our family events team and some of our VIP guests, saying, “It was a great pleasure to join everyone at Spread a Smile’s tea party. The event really highlights the important work they do to support families affected by childhood cancer. It certainly put a smile on my face, and I look forward to working with Lucy and her team.”

We are extremely proud of our partnership with Children with Cancer UK and grateful for all their support, helping us to spread thousands of smiles every year. Since the partnership began, Children with Cancer UK have helped fund Spread a Smile’s in-person and virtual entertainer visits to seriously ill children and young people with cancer in NHS Hospitals, also supporting our summer and winter parties and an annual event for families who have lost a child.

Lucy Jackson said, “It was a pleasure to welcome Gavin to one of our family events to see Spread a Smile’s work in action and show how we spread smiles every day to seriously ill children and their families. Our thanks go to Children with Cancer UK and all their team for supporting our vital work and we look forward to working closely with Gavin as we continue to develop our brilliant and impactful partnership.”

To find out more about Spread a Smile’s family events, please take a look here.

ompass Carter Osborne TB100

The Compass Carter Osborne TB100

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Last week, saw over 60 cyclists take on the Compass Carter Osborne Big 100 Cycle 2025 – an incredible event which brings together teams of riders from different organisations to raise money for charity.

For the third year running, Spread a Smile was delighted to be chosen by Compass Carter Osborne as their official charity partner for the event which saw an incredible group of people taking on the 100km and 100-mile routes through the scenic Kent countryside.

Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson said, “The Compass Carter Osborne Big 100 Cycle is a brilliant example of how companies can achieve their CSR objectives whilst bringing together partners and clients for a very special, fun and challenging day out. The event is a highlight in our calendar and Spread a Smile is extremely proud and grateful to have been chosen as charity partner for the last three years.”

With the incredible dedication of Compass Carter Osborne, their sponsors, and participants since the event began, we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved for their hard work, helping us to spread many more smiles to seriously ill children and young people.

If you are interested in exploring ways your company can support our vital work, please reach out to Lucy Chesney, our Head of Partnerships, at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org.

 

NHS healthcare professionals

Celebrating healthcare professionals

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a special event to celebrate the incredible healthcare professionals we work with, welcoming staff from 11 of the NHS hospitals we support. We are immensely grateful for their tireless efforts and hard work in supporting the seriously ill children and families we work with and this annual event is a chance to thank them in person and give them a chance to relax and celebrate what they do together.

To bring some of our own magic to the evening, our Spread a Smile entertainers were on hand, with Judge the Poet performing spontaneous, personalised poetry, Magic Nick amazing guests with his incredible magic tricks, and Louise crafting intricate balloon models for our guests to take home.

The evening was made even more special thanks to our wonderful partners, Pan-n-Ice, Sushi Dog, and Lola’s Cupcakes who provided delicious food and treats for our special guests. We are also incredibly grateful to our friends from Uncommon for hosting the event and making us all so welcome.

Spread a Smile is proud to partner with 39 NHS hospitals across the country, working with hundreds of healthcare professionals to support seriously ill children and young people under their care. To find out about our work and how you can support us, please take a look here.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Spread a smile case study

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Eliza

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For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we are sharing the story from a family we have the privilege of supporting.

Eliza was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just eight weeks old and Mum Hannah has kindly shared the difference Spread a Smile has made to her family – whilst Eliza was in hospital and after she sadly passed away in February 2023.

“We met Spread a Smile one Thursday on our first visit to GOSH. It was an awful time as we didn’t know what was wrong with Eliza to start with and we were stuck in a hospital room, worrying and not knowing anyone to talk to. And then one of the Spread a Smile entertainers came in with her guitar and sang for us. Eliza was transfixed and it was so, so wonderful to see.

Throughout Eliza’s treatment, Spread a Smile invited Hannah and her family to join us for our family events, providing  an opportunity for them to spend time quality time together having fun. Hannah, husband Mark and their sons joined us for a special trip to the cinema along with some of the other families we support.

“The boys had never felt so special, and we were welcomed with open arms, treated to food, treats and entertainment before sitting down to watch the film together.

“Eliza died unexpectedly a few weeks later from a liver disease caused by the chemo. We went home and started to navigate life again after loss. And then in March 2024, Spread a Smile invited us to a Memorial Event to remember children who had passed away and it was such a lovely thing to do.”

We are so grateful to Hannah and her family and you can read the full story here.

Fundraisers of the Month: Vidhi and Polly

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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This month, we’ve been overwhelmed with incredible fundraising efforts from our brilliant supporters. This month, we’re sharing Vidhi and Polly’s stories with you. Their hard work and dedication has been inspirational, helping us spread many more smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

Vidhi’s Birthday Fundraiser

Vidh

For her ninth birthday, Vidhi chose to fundraise for Spread a Smile in support of our Intensive Care Library Project. Vidhi dedicated herself to the cause by skipping, selling cupcakes, and approaching local businesses to get them involved, raising an incredible £5,725 to fund books to for our libraries at our NHS hospital partners.

Vidhi told us, “I was eight when I skipped, I baked and worked extremely hard to help children in hospital. Together with over 1,000 supporters and close to 400 donors, we raised over £5,725!

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the many happy faces when the books are delivered. I want to carry on, grateful for how good it feels to make a difference.”

Polly’s Plod

Polly's Plod

Polly raised an amazing £2,600 by plodding over 40 miles throughout August. She exceeded her goal of a mile a day, pushing herself whenever her energy levels allowed and we loved seeing how she got on across the month.

Polly’s mum shared this message with us: “We have been lucky enough to experience the impact of Spread a Smile first hand and will be forever grateful to the charity for giving Polly her smile back in times where it felt like her smile would never return.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you for plodding alongside Polly, both literally and metaphorically.”

Thank you to Vidhi, Polly and their families for their wonderful support and for going the extra mile to raise so much to spread smiles to seriously ill children in hospital.

 

If you’re feeling inspired by these two superstars, why not take on your own fundraising challenge and help make a difference to the families we support? Email rimi@spreadasmile.org to find out more.