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Gabrielle Devine

Lola's cupcakes

National Cupcake Day with Lola’s Cupcakes

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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For National Cupcake Day on Sunday 17 August, we’re celebrating our brilliant partnership with our friends from Lola’s Cupcakes.

Lola’s Cupcakes first supported Spread a Smile in 2013, when the charity was just one year old. Since then, Lola’s has been an integral part of our journey as we’ve grown and expanded our services to help more seriously ill children and their families. They have regularly supported us by donating delicious cupcakes for hospital visits and family events, and even providing stalls for our Summer and Winter Parties.

“We are so grateful to everyone at Lola’s Cupcakes for their generosity and kindness, through their delicious donations and support. Nothing is ever too much trouble for their wonderful team and our families absolutely love a Lola’s Cupcake. It’s really important to us to make sure the families we support enjoy wonderful experiences together and are helped to feel as special as possible. A huge thank you from everyone at Spread a Smile for being such a wonderful partner and helping us do just that.” Laura Walter, Spread a Smile Director of Services

Thank you to everyone at Lola’s Cupcakes for helping us to spread smiles to seriously ill children and their families when they are needed most. We appreciate all that you do.

If you or your company would like to explore opportunities for working with Spread a Smile to make a difference, please reach out to our Head of Partnerships Lucy Chesney at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org .

Afternoon tea at Riding House Cafe Bloomsbury

Afternoon tea party at Riding House Café

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We were delighted to welcome 14 young people and their families to Riding House Café in Bloomsbury for a delicious afternoon tea this week. Guests enjoyed a beautiful selection of tea, sandwiches and cakes, with Spread a Smile entertainers, magician Nick and Fairy Jo bringing additional laughter and fun.

These special events provide a break for the families we support, providing a chance to relax, have fun and enjoy quality time together.

For young patients, these events also provide a vital chance to socialise with others, which is particularly important when long hospital stays mean time away from school. In addition, families have a great opportunity to connect and find support from others who are on a similar journey.

Our family events are at the heart of what we do at Spread a Smile. We understand the profound impact that long hospital stays have on every family member, and these events provide a much-needed day of fun, respite, and relaxation for patients, siblings, and their parents.

We are incredibly grateful to our partners, such as Riding House Café, for their support in making these events happen. Their partnership is invaluable, as they not only enable these events but also provide ongoing support by adding a 25p donation to each customer’s bill, helping raise vital funds and allows us to bring joy to more children and families.

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Spread a Smile Padel Tournament

Padel Tournament 2025 – a smash hit!

 740 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Last week, we were delighted to host our third Padel tournament at Stratford Padel Club. Generously sponsored by Enra, our tournament welcomed 16 teams for a day of fierce competition, with players from Enra, Texel, HCFX, HILCO Capital, and Peel Hunt.

Each team brought their finest skills and competitive spirit to the court, and after a series of suspense-filled matches, Team Peel Hunt took home the trophy.

Alongside the competition, our Spread a Smile entertainer was on hand to bring even more fun to the day with his incredible magic and card tricks. It was a wonderful opportunity for our guests to see the magic our entertainers bring to seriously ill children and their families.

We finished the day with a raffle, with the chance to win a signed cricket bat donated by the ECB, a pair of tickets to the Spread a Smile comedy night on 17 November, and two rackets donated by Stratford Padel Club. It was great to see so many people win fantastic prizes!

A huge thank you to our sponsor Enra, all teams who took part and to Stratford Padel Club. Thanks to your incredible support, we raised vital funds that will help us spread even more smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

Feeling inspired?

Snap up one of our places for the Vitality 10k on 28 September, or sign up to our e-newsletter here to stay up to date with our upcoming events.

 

Fundraiser of the month: 2 Peaks challenge

Fundraisers of the month: Alice and Sophie

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Our incredible fundraising community is key to Spread a Smile, helping us raise vital funds to spread smiles to seriously ill children in hospital. For August, we’re shining our Fundraiser of the Month spotlight on 12-year-old Alice and Sophie, who recently took on the 2 Peak Challenge to celebrate their B’nei Mitzvahs.

This ambitious challenge involved conquering the two tallest peaks in the Lake District: Blencathra and Helvellyn, over two days. The climbs proved to be challenging, with Alice and Sophie facing wind, hail, rain and a total of 1,818 M of altitude. Yet, their unwavering perseverance saw them proudly complete the challenge with Sophie sharing her motivation for the challenge, saying, “Being only 12 myself, I wanted to support a charity that helps children. I remembered hearing about Spread a Smile at a talk we had at Brownies and how they bring joy and entertainment to seriously ill children – it immediately came to mind.

“There were moments when I thought it might be too much, but then I reminded myself of the children Spread a Smile supports. Thinking about what they go through every day helped me push through – because what I was facing was nothing compared to their challenges.”

Alice also added, “For my Bat Mitzvah, I wanted to do something to give back to children less fortunate than me. I knew about Spread a Smile as my Mum had donated to them through her work… and I love what they do to bring art, music and even therapy dogs to visit seriously ill children in hospital.

“The climb up Blencathra on the Friday was really hard as we were walking through rain, wind and hail and even with our waterproofs on we got soaked!”

We’re so grateful for Alice and Sophie’s incredible efforts. Together they raised an incredible £3,500 to support Spread a Smile’s vital work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and their families. Their effort is a powerful example of how a challenge fundraiser can meaningfully commemorate a milestone whilst making a difference to others.

Feeling inspired? Why not hit your fitness goals by signing up to our Vitality 10k race on Sunday 28 September.
Join Team Smile here!

July Newsletter Spread a Smile 2025

July 2025 e-newsletter

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Our much-anticipated annual Summer Party was a highlight, as we welcomed over 750 children, young people, and families for a day of fun and laughter. We couldn’t have done it without the support of hundreds of volunteers and partners who donated their time, stalls, gifts, food, and drink to make the party so special.

Dive into our July e-newsletter to read more about the Summer Party along with everything else we’ve been up to and what we have planned, including:

  • Launch of our Silent Auction to win two VIP Oasis tickets for Sunday 3 August;
  • Celebrating a new charity partnership with Cosmic to increase the number of Spread a Smile visits to St Mary’s Hospital;
  • World Play Day with the LEGO Group;
  • Meet Dottie and Kaiden for International Day of Friendship;
  • Welcoming our new Trustee, Sanjiv Patel;
  • Snap up a place in the Vitality 10,000 London and take inspiration from Herne Hill Run Club and the Saucony 10k;
  • A brilliant effort from Team Smile for the National Three Peaks Challenge;
  • How to secure one of the last remaining teams for our annual Golf Days in September.

Sign up below to receive our e-news directly into your inbox every month!
Sign up to our Newsletter

Spread a Smile & Pan-n-Ice Instagram Giveaway

Instagram Giveaway: Spread a Smile & Pan-n-Ice

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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To celebrate National Ice Cream Day, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Pan-n-Ice to bring you a fabulous giveaway – your chance to win an ice cream masterclass for two!⁠

In this hands-on class, you’ll be guided by Pan-n-Ice’s expert ice cream rollers, who’ll take you on a journey through the history of Pan-n-Ice and the magic of making ice cream rolls. You’ll even take home your own ice cream creations and a certificate of completion!⁠

It’s quick, simple, and free to enter – just head over to our Instagram page and follow the instructions to enter. 

Good luck!
A huge thank you to our lovely friends at Pan-n-Ice for their support. 

Competition closes at 5pm on 4 August 2025. Winner chosen at random on 5 August and notified by direct message on Instagram.

T&Cs

The prize: a Pan-n-Ice Masterclass for 2x (valid until 31 Dec 2025). Prefer to DIY at home? You can swap for a Pan-n-Ice DIY Starter Kit!⁠ Competition closes at 5pm on 4 August 2025 and the winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday 5 August and notified by DM on Instagram. The prize is a Pan-n-Ice Masterclass, valid until 31 December 2025. Masterclass vouchers can be exchanged for a DIY Starter Kit if preferred. No cash alternative. Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram.

 

Spread a Smile entertainers smiling at summer party

Spread a Smile brings joy to hospital parties

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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This week, the Spread a Smile team has been busy spreading joy to young patients, their families, and hospital staff at the summer parties of The Christie’s Hospital in Manchester and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London.

Our visit to Christie’s in Manchester was a wonderful day. Spread a Smile’s artist, Esther, was on hand to help patients craft their very own magic wands, which were then eagerly tested out during a magic show by our entertainer, Amy. It was lovely to see patients, their families, and hospital staff enjoying a range of fun activities together, including picking their favourite songs on the music system, enjoying a delicious buffet, slime making, glitter tattoos and more.

We were also delighted to support the annual Summer Party for young patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London. The hospital’s Safari ward was transformed into a magical butterfly paradise, with Spread a Smile’s Leanne and Sarah bringing magic, sparkle and smiles. There was such a wonderful atmosphere, and it felt incredibly special to be able to celebrate with patients, families and staff in this special way.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital and The Christie Hospital are two of Spread a Smile’s 39 NHS partners across the country, and we were proud to be able to support the team and their patients in this way. Being part of these events is just one of the many ways we show our commitment to brightening the days of children in hospital, providing moments of joy, laughter, and distraction during challenging times.

Keep up to date with all things Spread a Smile by signing up to our monthly e-newsletter here.

 

Gabrielle Devine Joins Spread a Smile

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile is delighted to welcome Gabrielle Devine, our new Digital Marketing Executive to the team. We spoke to Gabrielle about her background and what led her to make the move into the charity sector.

“Moving into the charity sector has long been a dream of mine. My passion for making a positive difference began during the COVID-19 pandemic when I started volunteering as a befriender for Glasgow’s Golden Generation, a charity which supports the wellbeing of elderly individuals facing social isolation. I’ve continued this for almost five years now. Seeing the impact a simple, friendly interaction can have on someone’s day, and making a positive difference in the lives of others, is something that is really important to me.

“This experience resonated deeply with Spread a Smile’s mission: bringing joy and distraction to seriously ill children and their families as they face prolonged time in hospital. In just my first few weeks here, I’ve already seen the huge difference Spread a Smile makes. My first family event was particularly impactful. The dedication to giving individualised attention to each child and their family, combined with the team’s incredible effort in seamlessly running the event, resulted in genuine laughter and fun for the children – and it was wonderful to see their parents smiling alongside them.

“As a painter with a fine art background, I’m especially drawn to how Spread a Smile nurtures young people’s creativity and self-expression in hospitals. Through arts and crafts sessions and by decorating wards with vibrant paintings, we bring comfort and a vital outlet for expression into children’s lives, which is so important during long hospital stays and time away from school.

“I’m incredibly excited to be part of such an amazing team within such a special charity. I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in the Spread a Smile mission, helping to grow our social media presence and share the incredible work we do with the world. I’m especially keen to help us reach new audiences across all our social platforms, particularly on TikTok, and grow our accounts by sharing compelling stories through great images, videos, and impactful writing.”

Susie Baxter, Spread a Smile’s Head of Marketing also said, “I’m delighted to welcome Gabrielle to the team and looking forward to seeing the impact she will no doubt make as we support the charity’s awareness, fundraising and service delivery goals. It is an exciting time for Spread a Smile in terms of our position and aims going forward and already we’re developing lots of new socials initiatives to increase our exposure and ultimately ensure we can continue to be there for seriously ill children and their families when they need us most.”

 

 

Saucony 2025 Run charity

Herne Hill Run Club takes on the Saucony 10K

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

The atmosphere in London’s city centre this weekend was buzzing as over 17,000 runners took part in the annual Saucony 10K. Among them were 14 members of the Herne Hill Run Club, who took on the race as a fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile.

Despite the summer heat, the Herne Hill runners demonstrated their sportsmanship and determination, powering through to the finish line in their Spread a Smile running tops and helping to raise vital funds for seriously ill children and young people along the way. A huge thank you to the Herne Hill Run Club for going the extra mile to support Spread a Smile.

A 10K run is a great challenge for both new runners and experienced athletes aiming for a personal best. As the Herne Hill Run Club demonstrated, it’s a fantastic way for your own run club to come together, train for a shared goal, and raise vital funds to support our work.

If you’re inspired, Spread a Smile has spaces for the Vitality 10K on Sunday 28 September 2025, offering a perfect opportunity to achieve your fitness goals before the end of summer, all while raising vital funds to help us spread even more smiles when they’re needed most.

Secure your place now!

 

 

Lego Play pavilion charity day

World Play Day with the LEGO Group

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Spread a Smile was delighted to be invited by the LEGO Group to welcome some of the families we support to the LEGO Play Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery, London for some exciting LEGO® based workshops and fun.

The pop-up pavilion was installed to celebrate World Play Day, the LEGO Group’s celebration of the UN’s International Day of Play on 11 June and featured brilliant LEGO® creations including a LEGO® wall, slide and a giant parrot. Families supported by Spread a Smile were invited to join across two days, immersing themselves in the world of play and LEGO® and taking part in three workshops:

“Abstract Art” – using large trays of LEGO® in all different shapes, sizes and colours, guests were encouraged to make an abstract piece of art which were then displayed on a large mural wall.

“Pop Art” – for this workshop, the families used a 10 x 10 base board to create any design they wanted in the style of pop art, which finished pieces including a rainbow and characters such as Mario and PAC-Man!

“Speed Building Challenge” – This fun, quick fire building challenge saw our families create a robot using their LEGO® within 7 minutes, before adapting the robots to fly and then adding extra parts so the robot could swim underwater.

LEGO play pavilion

Events such as these provide meaningful and valuable opportunities for families with seriously ill children to do something fun together, providing moments of creativity, connection, and enjoyment.

The workshop leaders were fantastic, showing incredible patience and adapting the workshops to suit each family, and we are so grateful to the LEGO Group for offering this wonderful opportunity to the families we support.

At Spread a Smile, we are proud of the partnerships we build with our corporate supporters. We’ve worked with the LEGO Group for a number of years, developing innovative initiatives to support families with seriously ill children and creating a special and mutually beneficial partnership which engages and inspires everyone involved.

If you or your company would like to find out more about developing a bespoke partnership with Spread a Smile, then please do reach out to Rosie Perkins from our Partnerships Team at rosie@spreadasmile.org.