Entertainer spotlight – Paul the magician
https://spreadasmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Entertainer-Spotlight-Paul-Megram.png 780 400 Susie Susie https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df35034d6e0dc0a34b96e2cbd5d9df5b1604bbb302409c0dcb03b9fd2cadd967?s=96&d=mm&r=gWe spoke to entertainer and magician, Paul about his work over the last 10 years with Spread a Smile, visiting seriously ill children in hospital and helping to provide distraction and magical moments for play and fun.
“It is a privilege to work with Spread a Smile and help make a difference to children in hospital. Each visit I make is supported by a Spread a Smile Visit Manager and the rapport between us often enhances the experience, not only for the patient but also for family members at the bedside.
“It is important that we adapt our style of engagement for each individual child, whether it’s a three-year-old or a ‘cool’ teenager, so the kit I take is always suitable for a wide range of ages with minimal set up and reset. Tricks with ropes, cards, sponge balls and modelling balloons are usually in the mix and as a magician, I love being able to perform with cards almost every day – it keeps me sharp and match-fit!
“The families we meet are often going through the worst of times. To know that we are really making a difference is absolutely brilliant. Often you can hear the laughter echoing down the corridors during a visit and we often hear things such as “We haven’t heard them laugh, let alone smile, since they arrived in hospital.”
“I remember going into a High Dependency Unit (HDU), to visit a twelve-year-old girl who was connected to a lot of machines and was staring into the distance. I directed my questions, as always, to the patient, asking what balloon animal she would like me to make. After a short pause, her father suggested that she use her screen. She was then able to use her eyes to act as a computer mouse and give me her answer. “An aardvark.”
“At that moment, I knew that the fun had already begun, as a mischievous grin came across her face. Even though she still had a long journey ahead of her, it was the first positive sign of something changing and it was a heartfelt moment for everyone in the room.
“On another occasion, I was asked by the nurses to see a twelve-year-old boy. He was receiving dialysis, which meant that he had been connected to a machine for four hours before I arrived. He had a very painful migraine and was finding it extremely difficult to see and focus.
“I started to perform a few card tricks and, as the minutes passed, I could physically see his frown disappear, the colour return to his
cheeks and his smile come back. As I finished my last trick, I clicked my fingers and asked him how his headache was and in that instant he realised that the pain had gone. Of course I’m no miracle worker, but it was wonderful to see how the magic distracted him for his medical situation, enabling him to put aside his pain and focus on something else for a few moments. That look of wonder that he gave me said it all.”
Spread a Smile entertainers bring so much joy and happiness to seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment and care across our 39 NHS hospital and six hospice partners.
Please donate today and help ensure entertainers like Paul can continue to spread smiles when they are needed most.



This year’s team brought together an inspiring community of supporters, including our amazing corporate partners BC Partners, Corinthia London, KKR, Mildreds and Uncommon, alongside dedicated individual fundraisers and parents from families supported by Spread a Smile.
doing the same for other children and families. Ari was our light, and it means so much to us to be doing this in her memory.”
Through visits from our entertainers, musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, alongside creative activities and family support initiatives, we bring opportunities for children to play, connect and simply be themselves during some of the most difficult days of their lives.
“We receive weekly visits from Spread a Smile charity, including a monthly specialised visit to PICU (the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit). Their artist has created warm and welcoming scenes and pictures across paediatric areas. We utilise the online daily entertainment sessions as well as the Spread a Smile channels for music and songs. In addition, the charity provides gift and toy drops, pamper days, organises larger events that our patients and families can attend, and can tailor individual sessions to meet specific patient needs when required.”
patients and clinical settings is what makes it so effective.


With the sun (mostly) shining on both days, our golfers enjoyed playing the 18-holes – accompanied by entertainment around the course from Spread a Smile musicians, artists and magicians, including our Ambassador, Richard Jones.
A huge thank you to the team at LMAC Group, who recently hosted their fifth annual Golf Day in support of Spread a Smile. With an impressive 104 golfers taking part in what proved to be their most successful event to date, with over £17,000 raised for Spread a Smile.
a Smile, the event brought together clients and friends for a day of friendly competition and fundraising, raising an outstanding £25,000.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the International Trade and Forfaiting Association (ITFA) for choosing to support Spread a Smile at its annual conference in Split, Croatia.
London. Covering 25km and crossing 16 of the capital’s iconic bridges, the challenge brought together colleagues from Westgate Healthcare’s Head Office for a day of teamwork, determination and fundraising. Thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters, the team raised more than £12,600 for Spread a Smile, including an additional contribution from Westgate Healthcare’s Directors.
