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Spread a smile parliament

Spread a Smile in UK Parliament

 1024 576 Gabrielle Devine
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On Wednesday 17 December, Spread a Smile hosted a Parliamentary Drop-In event at the House of Commons, sponsored by Liam Conlon MP, to raise awareness of the vital role the charity plays in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of seriously ill children and young people in NHS hospitals.

Spread a Smile works in partnership with 39 NHS hospitals and 6 hospices, delivering in-person and virtual entertainer visits, art initiatives, sibling support and family events. The charity brings joy, distraction and moments of relief to children facing long stays in hospital, painful treatments and some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Liam Conlon MP has seen first-hand the impact of Spread a Smile’s work, having joined a hospital visit earlier this year at King’s College Hospital. Speaking at the event, he said:

“As someone who spent years in hospital as a teenager following a serious accident, I know how isolating and frightening hospital can feel. What Spread a Smile does is extraordinary. They bring joy and humanity into the toughest moments, helping children feel seen, supported and free to be children again, even in the midst of treatment. I was proud to host them in Parliament today so more MPs can understand the remarkable difference they make for families across the country.”

A family supported by Spread a Smile also attended the event to share their personal experience. Varun, now 22, received support from the charity at age 11 while undergoing treatment for stage 4 Osteosarcoma in 2014. Today, as a Young Ambassador for Spread a Smile, he was joined by his mum, Anita, who spoke about the difference the charity made during his treatment. We were also honoured to welcome two senior play specialists from leading London NHS hospitals, who described the impact they see every day when Spread a Smile visits their wards. They highlighted how working in close collaboration with Spread a Smile ensures that children receive the most positive and supportive experience possible while in hospital, helping to restore moments of childhood when they need them most.

MPs from across the political spectrum attended the Drop-In to meet Spread a Smile’s team, learn about its work, and discuss the charity’s ambition to expand its services nationally. The charity’s goal is to deliver regular in-person entertainer visits to all 23 specialist children’s hospitals in England by 2030, and to all 28 across the UK by 2035.

Spread a Smile CEO Lucy Jackson said:

“Every day, in hospitals across the UK, we meet children who are frightened, isolated, or enduring long and difficult treatment. Spread a Smile exists to bring light into those moments. Our work is a vital part of supporting children’s mental health in hospital, and demand for our services has never been higher.

“We are hugely grateful to Liam Conlon MP for championing our work and enabling us to share our impact with MPs from across the country. Their support will help us reach even more children and families who need us.”

Spread a Smile extends its thanks to Liam Conlon MP, to the families who shared their stories, and to all the MPs and Peers who attended.

winter funland spread a smile

A special evening at Winter Funland

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We recently had the pleasure of welcoming families supported by Spread a Smile to a special VIP opening evening at Winter Funland in London.

Guests were immersed in a spectacular winter wonderland, enjoying unlimited funfair rides, skating on the ice rink, taking in a festive circus show, and exploring all the other festive delights the event had to offer.

As the charity partner for Winter Funland 2025 – one of Europe’s largest indoor Christmas family extravaganzas – Spread a Smile is proud to provide such a memorable festive experience for the families we support. We are immensely grateful to everyone at Winter Funland for their generosity and for helping us bring smiles to seriously ill children and their families during a time of year that can be especially challenging.

The families we invited had a fantastic evening as VIP guests, sharing quality time together and enjoying everything this wonderful winter celebration had to offer.

This event perfectly illustrates how, with the support of our incredible partners, we can create moments of joy, laughter, and connection for children living with serious illness and their families.

To explore partnership opportunities with Spread a Smile and help make a real difference, contact our Head of Partnerships, Lucy Chesney, at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org

Write to your local MP

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile is delighted to be hosting a special drop-In event for MPs and Peers at the House of Commons on Wednesday 17 December.

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to raise awareness of the vital support we provide to seriously ill children and their families – but we need your help to make sure as many MPs attend as possible.

You can make a real difference by writing to your local MP inviting them to come along. To make it easy, we’ve put together a template letter and a link to help you find your MP’s contact details – it only takes a couple of minutes.

Your voice makes a big difference – MPs really listen to the experiences of their local constituents. Thank you so much for helping us spread the word.

Write to your MP today!

spread a smile newsletter

Our November e-newsletter is here!

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Thanks to the amazing support of our volunteers and partners, We’ve been getting ready to spread smiles this Christmas, packing 2,000 festive Smile Hampers for young patients and their siblings. We also launched our Christmas Appeal, inviting supporters to win some incredible prizes while raising vital funds to support our work.

November has also seen over 250 brand-new books delivered to 15 NHS hospitals for our PICU Libraries, and we were proud to increase our visits to Evelina London Children’s Hospital to weekly. We are also happy to be expanding our services into the NICU at Queen Charlotte Hospital through our partnership with @Cosmic.

We enjoyed a hilarious 6th annual Comedy Night with Suzi Ruffell at the Comedy Store, and our 7th Real Estate Dinner at Uncommon with guest speaker Gary Neville was a highlight.

Catch up on our latest news for November here.

Want to receive it straight to your inbox each month? Sign up here.

 

Evcom film awards spread a smile

EVCOM Film Awards 2025 winners

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We’re delighted to announce that Spread a Smile won Bronze for ‘Best Use of a Smaller Budget category’ and the ‘Creative Direction’ categories at the 2025 EVCOM London Film Awards.

The prestigious annual awards are run by EVCOM (Event and Visual Communication Association) and recognise excellence in both craft and communications, celebrating the best creative work in film. This year they took place at EVCOM London Film Awards ceremony on 27 November at the Royal Garden Hotel, London.

Spread a Smile’s Head of Marketing, Susie Baxter attended the awards along with filmmaker Jules, for a glittering ceremony at the Royal Garden Hotel, London on Thursday 27 November with Susie saying, “We are incredibly grateful to the family for sharing their story with us and enabling us to show the difference Spread a Smile makes to families like theirs.

“Also, to Jules who has a very special talent for sensitively and creatively creating films for Spread a Smile which really highlight how important our work is.

“Thank you to EVCOM for shortlisting us and helping to raise awareness about Spread a Smile and our work bringing a little bit of joy and happiness when it’s most needed. It really is an honour to see our wonderful films recognised in this way.”

If you would like to support our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families,please consider making a donation here. Thank you.

Spread a smile winter funland

Proud to Partner with Winter Funland 2025

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile is proud to announce that we have been chosen as the charity partner for the London Winter Funland 2025 – one of the biggest indoor Christmas family extravaganzas in Europe.

This year Winter Funland comes to the UK, running from 12 December to 4 January 2026 at The Grand Hall, Olympia and also from the 6 December to the 3 January at the NEC, Birmingham.

Families supported by Spread a Smile have been invited to join in the London fun for a special VIP evening, enjoying the magical winter wonderland, with unlimited funfair rides, ice rink, a fun-filled festive circus show and more. The charity will also have a presence at the event, meaning we’ll be reaching new audiences and sharing our work with everyone visiting.

Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson said, “We are absolutely delighted that Spread a Smile is the charity partner for this year’s Winter Funland event in London. We are incredibly grateful that so many of the seriously ill children and families we support will have the chance to enjoy such a magical experience together. Moments like these mean so much when life is dominated by hospital appointments and treatment.

“This partnership not only gives our families something truly special to look forward to, but it also helps raise vital awareness of our work. Winter Funland and Spread a Smile share a commitment to bringing joy and unforgettable moments to children and their loved ones, and we’re proud to be working together to make that happen.”

Thank you to everyone at Winter Funland for their support and helping us spread smiles to seriously ill children and their families when they are needed most.

You can find out more and buy tickets for this brilliant event here.

 

COSMIC Queen Charlotte

Our First Visit to Queen Charlotte’s NICU 

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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For World Prematurity Day on Monday 17 November, we were proud to make our first in-person visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital – part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.  

The visit marked the expansion of Spread a Smile’s service delivery within the Trust, following delivery of our successful and regular support programme for patients at St Mary’s Hospital, also part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.  

The development has been made possible thanks to a brilliant partnership between Spread a Smile and Cosmic, a charity that supports babies and children in intensive care units across St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in Hammersmith.

Working closely with the team at Cosmic, Spread a Smile’s Director of Services, Laura Walter carefully planned a special and meaningful first visit to families in the NICU for World Prematurity Day – a day that is observed annually to raise awareness about preterm birth and its impact on families and healthcare systems worldwide. 

Our entertainers, Rosie and Posey joined Laura and Cosmic staff at the hospital for a morning filled with gentle music, stories, and comfort. Musician, Rosie, gently played the guitar and sang soothing songs for the babies, creating a calming atmosphere on the ward. Meanwhile, Posey read from the book ‘Guess How Much I Love You’, a book that Cosmic gifts to every NICU family in their welcome pack when they arrive on the unit. It provided a peaceful moment for parents during a very difficult and emotional journey. 

Posey shared the benefits of reading to babies – even in neonatal care – from bonding and comfort to supporting early language and cognitive development. 

Laura said, “This visit marks the beginning of Spread a Smile’s regular support for Queen Charlotte’s NICU, something we are incredibly proud to deliver. We are so grateful to Cosmic for partnering with us to help expand our reach and bring moments of joy, comfort, and connection to even more families when they need it most.” 

Susannah Forland, Cosmic CEO, said: “It’s a privilege for Cosmic to provide funding to support these visits and partner with Spread a Smile. Research shows that gentle music and reading aloud can support both parents and premature babies – helping stabilise the baby’s heart rate, improve oxygen levels and encourage bonding. We’re proud to help make this much-needed support available to give families some light relief in a very unsettling and difficult time.”

If you’d like to help support our vital work spreading smiles to seriously ill babies, children and young people across the country, why not take a look at our Christmas Appeal? With incredible prizes to bid on and the chance to enter our prize draw for just £10, we hope you’ll get involved and help spread some festive smiles to the children and families we support. 

comedy night spread a smile with suzi ruffell

Stand-up Comedy Night with Suzi Ruffell

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

On Monday 17 November, we returned to The Comedy Store, London for the 6th Spread a Smile stand-up Comedy Night, raising vital funds to support our work and bring joy to seriously ill children and their families.

Generously sponsored by Enra Specialist Finance and Texel Foundation, and hosted and curated by our incredible Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, the evening was a huge success, with laughter filling the room from start to finish.

Guests were treated to brilliant performances from Tom Allen, Rhys James, Harriet Kemsley, and Limahl Germain. Military Mind-Reader and Spread a Smile Ambassador, Richard Jones, also took to the stage to showcase his incredible magic and illusions, leaving the audience amazed.

A huge thank you to Suzi Ruffell for being such a wonderful Ambassador and all her efforts curating our Comedy Night every year. Also to Tom, Rhys, Harriet, Limahl and Richard for helping to make the night one to remember, our sponsors Canary Wharf Contractors Fund and Enra Specialist Finance for their continued support, and to everyone who attended. Together we’ve raised thousands of pounds to help fund our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children, young people and their families.

The evening also marked the launch of our Christmas Appeal, which features a silent auction and prize draw. Running from Monday 17 November to Tuesday 9 December, you can bid for and win amazing prizes with all monies raised helping us bring even more joy and laughter when it’s needed most. Please support our Christmas Appeal here.

 

 

Children with Cancer UK joins visit to GOSH

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Gavin Maggs, Chief Executive of our partner Children with Cancer UK, joined the Spread a Smile team on a special visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in November this year.

Gavin spent time with Spread a Smile Chief Executive Lucy Jackson, along with one of our magicians and Fairy Becca, meeting patients and families across the wards, sharing laughter and joy and handing out the brand-new Children with Cancer UK mascot, Corry the teddy bear.

Corry was inspired by nine-year-old Olivia, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at 17 months old, leaving her blind. Her teddy bear Corry has been by her side during her ongoing cancer journey. A symbol of comfort and hope, Corry acts as a reminder that no child should face cancer alone

Children with Cancer UK have been supporting Spread a Smile since 2023, providing vital funding to support our hospital visits and family events. Gavin’ visit was a wonderful opportunity for him to see first-hand the difference Children with Cancer UK are helping to make for seriously ill children and young people with cancer across our NHS hospital partners.

Both charities share a strong commitment to supporting children and young people during illness. By working together, we can reach even more families, ensuring that laughter and positivity remain part of every child’s hospital journey.

Lucy Jackson said, “We were delighted to welcome Gavin for our visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see our entertainers in action and show just how valuable our work is spreading smiles to seriously ill children in hospital. It’s thanks to partners such as Children with Cancer UK that we’re able to deliver our services – from entertainer visits in hospitals, to special outings and events for young patients and their families, virtual sessions and more. Thank you to Gavin and the team at Children with Cancer UK for their ongoing support and commitment to spreading smiles when they are needed most.”

Stay up to date with Spread a Smile’s latest news and events — sign up to our e-newsletter here.

Regular visits to Leicester Royal Infirmary

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Since 2020, Spread a Smile has been bringing joy to seriously ill children at Leicester Royal Infirmary, supporting seriously ill children and their families through treat drops and virtual visits. These moments of fun and laughter help brighten long hospital stays and create a sense of normality for children living with serious illness.

We are now thrilled to be expanding our support for young patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary by introducing regular in-person entertainer visits to the wards. Last week, we celebrated the first of these in-person visits, with our talented entertainers Fairy Becca and Nick the magician providing bedside visits and spreading smiles through music, magic and more.

Our entertainer visits are at the heart of what we do at Spread a Smile: providing moments of interaction, fun and distraction and helping to lift what can be a scary time for children and young people in hospital.

Leicester Royal Infirmary is one of Spread a Smile’s 39 NHS hospitals and six hospice partners across the country and we’re very much looking forward to working closely with and supporting their brilliant ward team.

As a charity that receives no government funding, we rely solely on the generosity of our supporters. If you would like to support visits like these, please consider making a donation. Thank you.