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Gabrielle Devine

Gary Neville SaS Real estate dinner

Real Estate Dinner with Gary Neville

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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The Spread a Smile Real Estate Committee hosted an exclusive dinner on Thursday 6 November at Uncommon, Holborn, for 50 people, with special guest speaker Gary Neville.

Best known for his illustrious football career with Manchester United and England, Gary Neville has since established himself as a respected property developer and entrepreneur. His real estate portfolio includes the landmark £400 million St Michael’s redevelopment in Manchester, as well as Hotel Football and The Stock Exchange Hotel.

During the evening, Neville was in conversation with Nicky Barker, Managing Director and Head of Asset Management for KKR’s European Real Estate team, exploring the intersections of sport, leadership, and business.

The event aims to raise vital funds for Spread a Smile, a charity that brings joy, laughter, and moments of respite to seriously ill children in hospitals and hospices across the country.

Gary Neville said: “I’m really pleased to have supported Spread a Smile at this special evening with the real estate community. The work the charity does to bring moments of joy and comfort to seriously ill children and their families is truly inspiring. I know how important it is to lift people’s spirits during such difficult times. It’s a privilege to be part of an event that helps make that possible.”

Shaun Simons, Founder at Compton and Chair of the Spread a Smile Real Estate Committee, added: “The real estate industry has shown incredible commitment to supporting Spread a Smile over the years, and this event was another opportunity to come together for a cause that makes a real difference. We’re honoured to have hosted Gary Neville.”

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive of Spread a Smile, said: “We’re thrilled to have welcomed Gary Neville as our guest speaker at this very special evening. His journey from the pitch to the boardroom is inspiring, and we’re so grateful to the real estate community for their continued generosity. Every pound raised helps Spread a Smile, deliver joy, laughter and hope to children and families who need it most.”

Since being established in 2023, the Spread a Smile Real Estate Committee have held 7 dinners, raising an incredible £200,000 to fund Spread a Smile’s work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children in hospital. Chaired by Shaun Simons, Founder of Compton, the Committee brings together key industry figures; Chris Davies, CEO at Uncommon, Nicky Barker, Managing Director at KKR, James Lass, Head of Operational Real Estate at Swiss Life Asset Managers UK, Michael Mirelman, Director at GRE Finance and Lee Jackson, Partner at Eversheds Sutherland.

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Artplay workshop spread a smile

Spreading Smiles at our first pottery workshop

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We recently welcomed 16 young patients to a pottery workshop at ArtPlay in Spitalfields Market. The children and young people began with a playful pottery game to get creative juices flowing before moving on to sculpting their own unique creations – from mugs and pots to an absolutely adorable sausage dog!

At Spread a Smile, we’re always looking for new and engaging activities for our Family Events that reflect the wide-ranging interests of the children and young people  we support. Covering everything from music and magic to arts and crafts, cooking, cake decorating, theatre and cinema trips, and more, we provide fun opportunities for families to have fun together doing something they enjoy.

This was our first pottery workshop, and it was a joy to see everyone so focused, creative, and proud of their finished pieces. The smiles, laughter, and excitement throughout the day perfectly captured what Spread a Smile is all about. Moments like these are so important for children living with serious illness – they provide a chance to be imaginative, have fun, and spend precious time with their families while connecting with peers who are on similar journeys.

Workshops like these are only possible thanks to the generous support of our donors and partners. With your help, we can continue to provide events and outings  that bring joy and comfort to seriously ill children and their families. If you would like to support our work, please consider making a donation – thank you.

Evelina London Children's hospital

Weekly visits to Evelina Children’s Hospital

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We’re delighted to share that our visits to Evelina London Children’s Hospital have increased to once a week, meaning we can now spread even more smiles to seriously ill children and their families across the hospital.

Evelina is London’s second-biggest children’s hospital, which we have been working with since 2019 as one of the 39 NHS hospital partners we support across the country.

Our talented team of entertainers now visit all Evelina’s wards, bringing magic, music, art and laughter to young patients and their families. By gradually building up to weekly visits, we’re now able to reach even more patients and cover the whole hospital, helping to make hospital life brighter for everyone.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital celebrated its 20th birthday on 1 November, and we were delighted to join the festivities by hosting a special calligraphy workshop in the hospital atrium. Led by one of our Spread a Smile artists, patients and families came together to create beautiful designs to mark the occasion, filling the space with colour, creativity and smiles.

Laura Walter, Spread a Smile’s Director of Services, said:

“We are so proud to be expanding the number of our visits to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Providing a visit each week means we can reach even more young patients and their families, providing an important distraction and helping to bring more joy into the clinical environment. We’re so thankful to continue our partnership with Evelina and to work alongside their incredible play teams to support patients across the hospital.”

Through our regular in-person visits, online sessions and family events, we continue spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families when they need it most.

Your support helps us make this possible. If you’d like to get involved, please consider making a donation today. Thank you.

New Books for Our Intensive Care Libraries

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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In March 2025, we proudly launched our Intensive Care Library Project, delivering beautiful collections of books to 15 NHS hospital partners and creating 20 libraries across Paediatric Intensive Care and High Dependency Units.

When a child is seriously ill and in intensive care, days can be filled with worry for both the child and their family. Finding a quiet moment of comfort or connection can be difficult in a hospital environment. Our libraries provide carefully curated books right where they’re needed most, giving families the chance to read together, share stories, and find moments of calm and connection during a challenging time.

This October, we carried out our latest book drop, delivering over 250 wonderful new books to hospitals across the country. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, the shelves are now brimming with vibrant stories to suit children of all ages and interests.

We’re so grateful to our amazing community for helping us keep these libraries full. Special thanks go to Emmie’s Books and Expect Amazing for their continued support, and to volunteers Viraj, Vidhi and their mum Avni, and Lindsay, George and Emmie who helped pack and deliver the books with such care. 

If you’d like to support our Intensive Care Library Project, you can purchase books for our library here. Thank you.

thortful Christmas Cards

 1024 525 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile is delighted to have been chosen by creative greeting card marketplace, thortful, as the beneficiary charity for their 2025 range of Christmas Card Packs.

The range includes a selection of beautiful card designs, for adults and children and really does have something for everyone, from fun to thoughtful, festive and traditional. The cards are available to buy online and £1 from the sale of each pack of cards will be donated to Spread a Smile to support our work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and young people.

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive Officer said, “Our partnership with thortful is an incredible opportunity for Spread a Smile to reach new audiences, raise vital awareness of our work and shine a light on the difference we make to families with seriously ill children. We are extremely grateful to thortful for choosing Spread a Smile and donating such a generous amount from Christmas card sales to help ensure our entertainers can continue to bring music, magic, creativity and fun to children and young people in hospital at Christmas time and beyond.”

Pip Heywood, Managing Director at thortful, said about their partnership with Spread a Smile:

“We believe in the power of connection at thortful and there’s no better time to spread joy than at Christmas. We’re so proud to be partnering with Spread a Smile to help bring moments of happiness to children and families who need it most. Every card pack we send this festive season will help spread not just words, but smiles and that’s what makes this partnership so special.“

thortful supports a community of designers, illustrators and photographers who create beautiful, unique greeting cards (most of which you won’t find on the high street!). We’re excited to share their incredible range of Christmas cards with our supporters as a way of sharing the joy and spirit of Christmas far and wide.

So, what are you waiting for? Take a look at the range and get a head start on your Christmas cards today.

Our October e-newsletter is here

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Our October e-newsletter is here!

It’s been a busy month of spreading smiles – from celebrating Play in Healthcare Week to hosting our Lilo & Stitch half-term family events.

We also announced an exciting new fundraising challenge for 2026: the Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Triathlon, in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Plus, we held our fantastic Annual Golf Days and a hugely successful Entertainer Variety Show.

Read our October e-newsletter here.

Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive all things Spread a Smile directly to your inbox each month.

Half-Term Events for Families

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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During October half-term, we were delighted to host two very special events for the families we support,  made possible thanks to support from our incredible supporters and partners.

A Creative Day at The LEGO Group’s London Office

On Monday 28 October, 17 families joined us at the LEGO Group’s London Office in London for a fabulous Lilo & Stitch-themed day. We’re proud to have been working with our friends from the LEGO Group for a number of years through a range of family events, volunteering opportunities and support initiatives. Families enjoyed a packed schedule of activities, including hands-on LEGO® building, arts and crafts, face painting, and magical entertainment from one of Spread a Smile’s brilliant magicians. There were also plenty of delicious treats to keep energy levels high.

It was a wonderful day of creativity and fun, with the LEGO volunteers brilliantly leading each activity and engaging with the patients and their families. It was filled with joyful, special family moments – something that can be hard to find when managing everything that comes with serious illness.

Lilo & Stitch at Everyman Cinema

Later in the week, 20 families joined us at Everyman Cinema, London for another Lilo & Stitch-themed event watching the brand-new live-action film. Before the screening, families were treated to a lively pre-screen party with magic from one of Spread a Smile’s amazing entertainers, singing, a quiz, and, of course, pizza and snacks for everyone to enjoy. The experience gave families a chance to enjoy the simple magic of a trip to the cinema – something that can often be out of reach while navigating treatment schedules and hospital stays.

We know that school holidays can add extra layers when looking after children, so our events and virtual sessions aim to support families with seriously ill children during these times, giving access to fun and distracting activities and a chance for families to make memories and spend quality time.

Our thanks to the LEGO Group for their ongoing and valuable support, helping us create such wonderfully engaging events for the families we work with. Also, to Everyman Cinema always making our VIP guests feel so welcome.

Want to receive our news directly to your inbox? Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter here.

 

 

Fundraiser of the Month: Paul Blyth

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We’re delighted to celebrate Paul Blyth as our October Fundraiser of the Month for his incredible achievement cycling the length of Portugal on the famous N2 route – from Chaves to Faro. Over six gruelling days, Paul covered an astonishing 458 miles, climbing more than 31,700 feet – higher than Mount Everest.

Here’s what Paul had to say about his achievement:

“ Last week was the Ride Portugal N2 Chaves to Faro. 6 days, 458 miles, 31,742 feet with a riding time of 32 hours and 20 minutes. I am not going to lie, it was pretty tough, but I did train hard, and it paid off, and the added motivation of fundraising for Spread a Smile, kept the legs turning and the smile on my face. It really was the trip of a lifetime!

“It has been an absolute pleasure doing this for Spread a Smile and thank you all for your support, kind wishes, and motivational calls before the event. I am really very, very grateful!.”

A huge congratulations to Paul on completing his journey, and our deepest thanks for his hard work and incredible fundraising – raising an amazing £6,000, including funds from a quiz night and SCOR’s contribution. Thanks to this incredible support, we can continue our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children through in-person entertainer hospital visits, family events, and online sessions across our 39 NHS hospital partners.

Feeling inspired?
Why not take on your own challenge? Find out more about our upcoming Yr Wydffa (Snowdon) Triathlon Challenge, in partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Charity, taking place on 12 September 2026.

 

Free will writing service

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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October marks Wills Month, a time to consider the importance of planning for the future, and Spread a Smile has teamed up with probate experts, Farewill, to provide a free will writing service for our supporters.

Writing a will provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones and ensures your wishes are honoured. It also offers a unique opportunity to leave a meaningful legacy to support a cause close to your heart.

As a charity, we receive no government funding and rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters and partners. These contributions enable us to continue providing entertainer hospital visits, family events, art initiatives and virtual sessions – moments of happiness that make a real difference during challenging times.

Whether large or small, your gift will help us reach more children and families across the country, offering vital moments of connection and joy and spreading smiles when they are needed most. You can find out more about the families we support and the impact your gift will make here.

Start your Will making journey with us today and leave a lasting legacy to ensure Spread a Smile can continue to provide our vital services for years to come. Thank you.

 

 

 

Variety Show a sell-out success

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Last night, we were thrilled to host our second Entertainer Variety Show at the Camden Club in London. The evening was a brilliant celebration of the incredible talent of our entertainers, who work so hard year-round to bring joy to seriously ill children and their families.

From in-person hospital visits to our 39 NHS hospital partners, to virtual visits and family events, our entertainers play a vital role in everything we do at Spread a Smile – spreading smiles where they’re needed most. This special evening was a chance to put them centre stage, to celebrate their talents and the joy they bring to others, and to share that magic with their friends and loved ones.

Guests were treated to an incredible line-up of performances, including comedy songs from Kerry, show-stopping singing from duo Ellie and Jasmin, music from Betty, Rosie and Joanna, and the vintage harmonies of The Wild Tonics. The magic continued with mind-blowing illusions from Amy, Lou, Sacha and Gary, spontaneous poetry by Judge the Poet, and an unforgettable performance from ventriloquist Chris and his cheeky sidekick, Nana. It was a night to remember, filled with so much talent and entertainment.

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive at Spread a Smile, said: “We are so proud to have brought our second entertainer Variety Show to the Camden Club, London. It was an honour to watch our talented entertainers light up the stage and bring so much joy and wonderful to see our team and supporters come together for an uplifting evening of music, laughter and fun, all to raise vital funds to help us continue spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families.”

A huge thank you to our amazing entertainer, Sar for being the driving force behind the event, and to our brilliant comperes, Aaron and Dov for bringing so much energy to the evening. We’re also incredibly grateful to the Camden Club for generously hosting us and helping to make the night such a success.

All proceeds from ticket sales will help us continue our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children, young people and their families and our thanks go to everyone who bought tickets, performed and joined us on the night.

Coming up next: Our Annual Comedy Night
Join us on Monday 17 November for our Comedy Night at The Comedy Store, London, hosted by Spread a Smile Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, with performances from Tom Allen, Rhys James and Harriet Kemsley. Tickets are selling fast, so book yours today.