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This September we will say a fond farewell to three amazing and longstanding members of the Spread a Smile team.  We are sad to see them go and do so with every best wish for the future.  We are delighted that all three will continue to volunteer for the charity at our key family and fundraising events.

Family Events Managers, Caroline Lisberg  and Carolyn Klaus joined the charity in 2014 and 2016 respectively and have managed countless theatre trips, days out and Winter Parties.  Over the last 18 months they have hosted virtual entertainer visits as well as successfully adapted our events to digital offerings including virtual activity days during the school holidays and Smile Parties.  They have both decided that it is now to hand over the event’s baton to the rest of the team. Carolyn and Caroline said,  “The years we’ve had at Spread a Smile have been life-changing for both of us. It is an incredible charity and it has been a pleasure to have been part of its story. But most importantly we have loved creating so many special memories over the years. It has been such a privilege to have met so many wonderful families and inspirational children and we will always carry you in our hearts.“

Systems Manager, Loren Berkowitz, has been spreading smiles since the charity’s foundation in 2013.  Indeed, after our founders, Josephine and Vanessa, Loren was Spread a Smile’s very first member of the team.  Her positive ‘can do’ attitude and versatility means throughout her time at the charity she has worked across every department, from managing our website, social media, databases and systems and processes to supporting our fundraising activities, family events and hospital visits.  Her passion has always been focused on spreading smiles meaning she has supported thousands of children and their families at every kind of visit, trip and event.  And it’s been a family affair, her gorgeous dog, Cassie was our very first therapy dog.  With the same calming nature of all the Berkowitz family, Cassie and made hundreds of bedside visits with Loren and her daughter, Talia, reducing children’s anxieties and spreading smiles.

Caroline, Carolyn and Loren have made many important introductions to the charity and developed long-term relationships with our families and supporters.  We’re going to miss their fabulous creativity, enthusiasm and passion for Spread a Smile but know that they will stay in contact and continue to support our work.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

We’re delighted to announce we are spreading smiles to children and teenagers under the care of our new NHS partner, Nottingham Children’s Hospital.

We run a weekly magic session with the patients there and patients also join in our regular sessions that we run for all of our NHS partner hospitals. Earlier in the summer we sent ice creams to the hospital for the children and teenagers to enjoy.

Jamie-Lee Phillipson, Play Specialist Team Lead, said, “Spread a Smile is an amazing charity, that constantly brings smiles to children’s faces. The work they have done to get all of their virtual sessions up and running has been incredible. It is such a great achievement seeing how they are still able to bring children of all ages so much joy through a screen. It has brought so much fun and laughter to the children and their families. The service they kindly provide for us is invaluable. Thank you for all the amazing work you do.”

Last week, the Play Team ran a Caribbean Party for the patients at the hospital. Spread a Smile entertained at the party with a virtual art session. We’ve loved seeing the amazing pineapple creations that the children made.

This August our amazing supporters have really been pulling out all the stops in aid of  Spread a Smile.

Marc Lester, Garry Crystal and Oliver Bradley literally threw themselves out of a plane in a sponsored skydive; Angel, Rob and Holly Farley, completed a 16-mile sponsored walk and Henry Jackson, Lily Ornstein and their families (including our CEO Lucy Jackson) completed two mountain hikes in the Lake District (280,000 steps, 20km and 824m) as part of the Bnei Mitzvah Charity Challenge.

In addition, 10-year-olds Pearl and Izzy from Barnes set up a stall selling lavender bags to friends and neighbours after being inspired to raise money for Spread a Smile following a charity article in The Week Junior.

We are so excited for the Westfield to Westfield Walk this Thursday (9th September) where we will be joining circa 150 members of the URW UK’s finance team on their 13-mile walk between the two shopping centres. 

The walk has been arranged to celebrate the easing of lockdown and to welcome everyone back from their summer holidays.

We are so grateful to them for selecting our charity and for helping us to spread smiles to seriously ill and hospitalised children. 

Thanks to Lola’s Cupcakes for sweetening the journey and providing some refreshments along the way.

To sponsor the URW team you can click on the link here 

About the challenge

• The event is on the 9th of September 2021. 
• One walk of circa 13 miles (half a marathon!) or three separate smaller walks.
• Teams of approximately six to eight people will be setting off at staggered times between 9.30 am and finishing (they hope) by 5 pm.
• Points of interest along the route include two of Spread a Smile’s NHS partner hospitals, the Royal London Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital. As well as London landmarks the Olympic Stadium, Tower of London, Millenium Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham and Kensington Palace and Hyde Park to name a few.

How to follow the Westfield to Westfield walk?

We will be sending various social posts during the 9th of September and using the following hashtags on all our social media platforms.

#WestfieldtoWestfield #WalkTogether #spreadasmileuk #spreadingsmiles #WestfieldLondon  #WestfieldStratfordCity

For any further information about this event please contact us here

Westfield to Westfield walk

The Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 3 October is fast approaching and our Spread a Smile runners are entering the final stages of their preparations.

Jason Finch is taking part in the London race and Martin Murray, Simon Chandler, Prav Char and Claire Kemp (not pictured) are taking part in the virtual race. Henry, Daniel, Finn and Josh are also running a marathon relay near their homes in Hertfordshire.

We asked our runners about their preparations for the London Marathon and why they chose to run for Spread a Smile.

When did you start running and why?

JASON: I used to run when I was a teenager, but in those days the choice of running gear was limited, there weren’t as many events or clubs to attend, and the technology wasn’t around for measuring how well you were doing.  I lost interest and didn’t run much until my late 30s/early 40s when I bought a decent pair of trainers and a running watch, and suddenly realised that this was something I could do, and that it would keep me fit as I got older.  Social media made it easier to find out about running events, and having moved home, I used my love for running to meet other people and make new friends.

MARTIN: My little sister, she’s 43 but she’ll always be my little sister! challenged me to run the Edinburgh half Marathon with her in 2014 and I just kept on running.

SIMON: I started running last year, during lockdown. I needed to feel the freedom and having moved to London 2 weeks before Lockdown started it gave me a chance to explore London in a way I might not have without lockdown.

HENRY: I’ve been running all my life  and I do it because I love being outside.

How many marathons have you run in total?

JASON: Well, officially two marathons – my first one was at Chelmsford in 2016 and then I did Edinburgh in 2019.  I also ran one in my back garden during the first lockdown, as part of my fundraising for Spread A Smile during 2020.  Oh, and a few “ultra” marathons – 52 miles in 24 hours, 75 miles over a weekend and most recently, 37 miles in December 2020 when myself and two others spent the day running between 7 of the hospitals that Spread A Smile support.  For me, though, the holy grail has always been the London Marathon, so I’m super excited about being able to do it for the first time.

MARTIN: None, this is my first, I had trained for the Manchester marathon last year but COVID got in the way and so I have been waiting for the next opportunity.

SIMON: I ran my first and what I thought would be my only marathon last year. I ran that one solo, raising money for a hostel I lived/worked at in Guatemala as the Pandemic had ruined tourism and they were left without money income for everyone that worked there.

HENRY: None, but I do cross country for my school and in Aquathon races.

How does running make you feel?

JASON: Whether it’s getting the day off to a good start or clearing my head after a day’s work, I find that the endorphins generated by exercise give me a great lift and a positive frame of mind.  When my legs ache, I remind myself that it’s not a bad thing and even if a run doesn’t go to plan, I remember that I’ve achieved more than if I hadn’t run at all.  During marathon training, I have to be careful not to overdo it, either by running too fast or too often; it’s important to let your muscles heal and the rest of your body recover between runs.

MARTIN: Mainly tired! but it is my way to just turn my head off for a few hours a week, put on a Podcast and just keep putting one foot in front of the other, its so simple.

SIMON: Pain the morning after…. Seriously though, it just gives me freedom to explore. It’s why I hate running the same route on repeat.

HENRY: Healthy and fit.

Have you ever wanted to give up, and how did you manage to push through?

JASON: Some days are definitely harder than others, and often it’s as much about mental strength as physical.  At the start of this year, I committed to running the same 5km run every day throughout January; on the cold days when it was pouring with rain, I had to be very disciplined to keep going but by just focussing on the next run rather than thinking about the whole month, I achieved my target.  In 2009 I did a Mud Race, which was physically the hardest thing I have ever done and I ended up with mild frostbite in my fingers – by comparison, I find running in any weather to be pretty easy.  Sometimes I remember that day, stuck in the mud, and remind myself “it could be worse”.

MARTIN: There have been times that I haven’t wanted to get out of bed early or squeeze a run in before dinner but I have made a commitment to Spread a Smile and to myself that I will run this Marathon so it will be done.

SIMON: Plenty of times. I recently had it whilst on holiday in Split, Croatia. I was doing a 90 minute run, starting at 5:30am as I had big plans that day, I was running up a 250m incline, 30 degrees and just wanted to stop but if I stopped there, all the other early mornings would be worthless.

HENRY: Not really, no!

How are you preparing for London Marathon?

JASON: Quite frantically at the moment!  I was using a training plan, which is designed to cover 16 weeks of training prior to a marathon, but I hit a problem in June when my right hip started hurting after a 9 mile run.  Despite some rest, I couldn’t shrug off the pain until I visited a chiropractor, and after six weeks of virtually no running, I had to build the miles back up carefully.  I’m now back on track but have had to increase the miles I do over a shorter period than I would have liked.  For this marathon, I’ve been thinking more about other aspects as well – such as trying to run in the mornings (similar to the time on race day) and practicing when I eat and drink during long runs.

MARTIN: I am following the same training plan that I used last year but with a few tweeks because training in the summer is a lot harder than the winter. The heat makes the longer runs much harder for me so I have to go a lot slower which can be frustrating.

SIMON: Working with a running coach to give myself training plans for me, hoping to complete it in sub 4 hours!

HENRY: I swim most days and have been running with my Mum and friends.

What’s your top tip for someone new to running and considering taking on a challenge?

JASON: Running can be both a very personal thing, and also a very social one.  By that, I mean that you don’t need anyone else in the same way as you do with team sports etc – you can choose when you run, how far you go and how fast you go.  That last point is important – how quickly you run doesn’t matter, and you should build up your distance, speed and confidence over a long period.  One way to get started is to go along to parkrun events, that take place around the country on Saturday mornings.  I help to organise one of these, and they are free and open to everyone whether you are walking or running.  The distance is 5 km, and over a period of weeks you can see how you are progressing and meet like-minded people who will encourage you to keep going.  If you aren’t very fit, or confident about running, the support of others can make a huge difference.

MARTIN: Get your Gait analysed, and the right trainers for your style of running. they don’t need to be really expensive but getting them right will help you to stay injury free and keep going.

SIMON: Don’t worry about time or distance, just enjoy being out exploring.

HENRY: Keep going. Start with some short runs and build up to longer runs

Why have you chosen to run for Spread a Smile?

JASON: My nephew was born with heart difficulties and spent his five weeks at Great Ormond Street Hospital.  The support that the hospital and charities gave to my sister and brother-in-law at the time was wonderful and inspired us all to look for ways to help those who bring comfort and joy to ill children and their families at such a difficult time.  So when my employers (Masthaven Bank) partnered with Spread a Smile in 2019, this gave me the opportunity to combine my love of running with fundraising for the charity.  I was lucky enough to spend a day with some of the Spread A Smile team on one of their hospital visits in early 2020, and seeing the impact they had made the decision to volunteer for the London Marathon even easier.

MARTIN: Get your Gait analysed, and the right trainers for your style of running. they don’t need to be really expensive but getting them right will help you to stay injury-free and keep going. Get your Gait analysed, and the right trainers for your style of running. they don’t need to be really expensive but getting them right will help you to stay injury-free and keep going.

SIMON: Opticore IT who I work for are affiliated to Spread a Smile so I’ve heard about the work they do and I wanted to help in someway. The last 18 months have been incredibly tough for everyone but just imagining having a seriously or terminally sick child on top of that must be that hardest thing in the world. I just want to do my bit to help.

HENRY: Because my Mum works for them and she told us about all the children they  support. Our friend Oliver was also entertained by a Spread a Smile magician when he was ill in Great Ormond Street.

What makes you smile?

JASON: I think the answer I’m supposed to give here is “my wife and children”…..which is, of course, true, but thinking about the day of the London Marathon, I’m hoping to be smiling when I cross the start line (knowing that I’m finally really doing it), when I see people I know in the crowd (in case they’re taking photos) and – probably the biggest smile – when I cross the finish line.  At that point, it’ll be a combined feeling of relief together with the knowledge that I’ve raised funds for Spread A Smile…. not to mention the thought of some refreshments being not too far away

MARTIN: Fran & Ellibobs, most of the time….

SIMON: Knowing I’m doing good in the world.

HENRY: My friends, my brothers and when my Mum says I can go on the Xbox!

Our Enriching Spaces programme continues to brighten the hospital environment and make communal spaces, treatment rooms and wards more inviting places to be.

Marina, our creative Head of Art, recently visited Great Ormond Street Hospital to spread smiles with her stunning wall and window artworks.

Marina said, “It’s lovely working with the children in the design process, feel the mounting excitement as I work and see the smiles of children, parents and staff with the finished artworks.” 

We were thrilled to hear about 10 year old friends, Pearl and Izzy, who, after reading about Spread a Smile in The Week Junior magazine, were inspired to fundraise for the charity.

Their school, Barnes Primary, runs a Citizenship Award to encourage pupils to look after themselves, their school and their community with a positive mindset. As part of the Award they needed to raise money for charity.

The girls decided to make and sell lavender bags and with the help of Pearl’s mum and Izzy’s grandma they sewed the bags together. They sold the bags door to door and also set up a stall.

Izzy and Pearl raised a fabulous £125. They said, “…we had so much fun and we learn to use a sewing machine. We hopefully think we made a difference in a lot of people’s lives. In the process of this we got to express our creativity which produced unique lavender bags. We are so happy we did this.”

The holidays are always a difficult time for critically ill children and never more so than during a pandemic when isolating in hospital or at home becomes a necessity. We have been there throughout the summer with a host of interactive virtual activity days to amuse and delight.  More than 200 children have attended activities including a meet and greet with Spiderman and Princess Elsa, Olympic art and anime workshops, a Mamma Mia musical theatre session, TikTok dancing with the Gregorian Sisters and, this week, a Back to School virtual challenge.

One mum messaged us to say, “Just a quick message to say thank you sooo much for yesterday. Zac loved meeting Spiderman. He is still talking about it now.”

We’ve had so much fun doing it and it’s been wonderful to spread so many smiles during the holidays. We are now working on plans for half term including Halloween and Christmas.

Our partner, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, hosted their family day, Noah’s Fest, earlier this month. We were delighted to attend to entertain the children under their care as well as their families.

Our fairies, magicians and artists supported the many family activities available on the day with singing, magic tricks and art activities. A member of the hospice team commented as a Spread a Smile fairy sang ‘Never Enough’ with two little girls, “The immediate audience had tears in their eyes. She really made the day special for several children and helped create a lovely atmosphere.”

It’s wonderful to receive such positive feedback and to see the children’s smiles. We are delighted to work with our partner hospitals and hospices to enhance their events and spread more smiles.

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