News

International Day of Play 2025

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On Wednesday 11 June we celebrated the second ever International Day of Play – a global initiative aimed at promoting the essential role of play in children’s lives and recognised by the United Nations.

The day is a reminder that all children have a right to play. That it is crucial for physical, social and emotional development and wellbeing and an essential part of childhood. At Spread a Smile, we aim to help bring the benefits of play to children and young people in hospital, at a time, when it might be more difficult to access and they are feeling most isolated and vulnerable.

This year, our entertainers joined forces with our friends from Hasbro to visit children and young people at some of our NHS hospital partners, including Evelina London Children’s Hospital and St George’s Hospital in Tooting. We welcomed young patients from the wards to join us for creative play sessions in communal playrooms, with board games, Play-Doh, magic, music, singing and more. We also visited the bedsides of children who were not able to leave their rooms, making sure as many children as possible could access the fun.

Laura Walter, Director of Services for Spread a Smile said, “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Hasbro again to bring the joy and creativity of play to children in hospital. The theme this year is ‘Choose play – every day and this is something that helps drive everything we do, prioritising play and fun even in the most difficult of circumstances.”

Thank you to Hasbro for kindly donating the toys and gifts for this year’s events and to their wonderful volunteers for joining us on our visits to hospital. We were also delighted to join Hasbro at their Head office to celebrate International Day of Play in style.

To donate to ensure we can continue our vital work, please click here.

Children’s Welfare & Research Foundation

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For the third year running, Spread a Smile is proud to have been one of the chosen beneficiary charities for the Children’s Welfare and Research Foundation’s annual Golf Day at Moor Park Golf Club.

Spread Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson attended the event along with our Head of Fundraising, Krishan Solanki, with Lucy saying, “It’s always a pleasure joining our friends from the Children’s Welfare and Research Foundation for this wonderful event. We are so grateful for their ongoing commitment and support for our family events, which provide much-needed moments of respite and fun for seriously ill children and their families.”

Every year, Spread a Smile organises a programme of exciting and engaging family events, including West End theatre trips, bespoke lunches and our annual Summer and Winter Parties. These events are completely free of charge and welcome hundreds of seriously ill children, young people, their siblings and family members every year for relaxed, fun days out. They are an opportunity to just enjoy spending time together, meet other families going through similar experiences and put aside the worries of illness and treatment for a short time.

“Thank you, Spread a Smile, for a wonderful morning of fun. So lovely to see all the children being children… building, playing and interacting with each other and the fabulous entertainers.” Parent at a family event

To find out more about how you or your company can support our work spreading smiles, please get in touch with the fundraising team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org

Second Teen Brunch at Mallow

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During the May half-term, we were delighted to return to the gorgeous plant-based restaurant, Mallow in Borough Market, for our second Teen Brunch.

Being a teenager in hospital and undergoing treatment for serious illness can be extremely challenging and isolating, with long periods of time spent away from friends and social activities and limited entertainment options. Spread a Smile’s Teen Brunches are aimed at young people over the age of 12, and are a bespoke opportunity for them to enjoy themselves and meet other young people in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

10 families joined us (25 people in total), with guests enjoying a delicious vegan brunch including scrambled tofu, pancakes, toasties, fruit kebabs and yoghurt with fruits. Spread a Smile entertainers Rosie and Collette performed a medley of pop songs and requests from the families, with magician Nick Einhorn sharing his magic skills and more team members on hand with arts, crafts and glitter tattoos.

The Teen Brunches create a wonderful sense of togetherness, and it was heartwarming to see everyone chatting and enjoying time together over a delicious meal.

Our thanks as always to the brilliant team at Mallow for their support and kindness in making these get togethers possible.

If you would like to find out more about how you or your company can get involved with supporting Spread a Smile, please reach out to our Partnerships Manager, Rosie at rosie@spreadasmile.org – thank you.

Everyman family cinema trip

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On Tuesday 27 May, 15 young patients and their families (51 people in total) joined us at the Everyman Cinema in Kings Cross to watch for a family outing to watch Mufasa: The Lion King!
Spread a Smile organises outings, events and activities such as this to support seriously ill young people, their parents, carers and siblings and bring moments of respite, joyful experiences and enduring memories at the most challenging of times.
Our recent cinema trip did just that, with our families enjoying lots of treats including sweets, chocolates and popcorn plus entertainment from Spread a Smile entertainers with magic, music and fairy sparkle. We were also delighted to welcome volunteers from XTX Markets who got stuck in doing glitter tattoos for our special guests.
The lovely team at Everyman treated everyone to delicious pizzas whilst Spread a Smile’s Mr Magic dazzled guests with a brilliant magic show on the stage. Once everyone was full (of treats and laughter), we all settled down to watch the film and enjoy time out and relaxation together.
We’re so grateful to our friends from XTX for their support and the team at Everyman for making us so welcome.
Please do get in touch if you’d like to find out more about our family events and how you can support them.

Sponsor a therapy dog

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Spread a Smile’s therapy dogs are an integral part of our team of entertainers. They have a unique way of providing physical warmth and affection, distraction and fun. They offer support during stressful or painful medical procedures and can help with rehabilitation and physio exercises. They also help to bring happiness and familiarity for children who are missing their pets at home.

Spread a Smile currently has six amazing therapy dogs working with us, Buddy, Cobi, Harry, Scout, Smartie and Thomas, each bringing so much comfort to children they meet in hospital, plus to wider family members and staff.

 

“We’ve loved the therapy dog visits as we have a dog at home, so whenever Teddy saw one of the Spread a Smile dogs, his face would just light up. He loved stroking them, giving them treats and rolling the ball to them. It was wonderful to watch.”

By sponsoring a Spread a Smile therapy dog, you’ll be helping to ensure they can continue to be there during the most difficult times, providing support in hospital, at our family events and also through focussed initiatives in specialist areas. One example is our work with The Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, one of UCLH’s specialist hospitals. The Paediatric Dentistry Unit sees complex patients for whom a typical dental visit in primary care would be difficult and since November 2022, we have been trialling the use of therapy dogs to provide support for patients to help reduce anxiety and stress.

Spread a Smile doesn’t receive any government funding and we rely completely on generous donors, companies, fundraisers and supporters to continue our work bringing joy and happiness to seriously ill children, young people and their families across the country.

Click here to meet each of our therapy dogs and find out more about sponsoring Buddy, Cobi, Harry, Scout, Smartie and Thomas, or email Rosie at rosie@spreadasmile.org to get the ball rolling. Together we can ensure our therapy dogs continue to be there for children in hospital during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

Supporting families at Alder Hey in Liverpool

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Spread a Smile today announces its latest hospital partner, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust based in Liverpool. One of Europe’s largest children’s hospitals, treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions, and those children being treated, along with their families, are invited to join the Spread a Smile family and benefit from their services.

Alder Hey Hospital LiverpoolSpread a Smile’s mission is to bring joy and laughter to as many seriously ill children as possible in NHS hospitals, clinical settings, hospices and homes across the UK. Alder Hey joins 38 other major and speciality NHS hospitals and six hospice partners already supported by Spread a Smile, taking the charity one step closer to its aim.

The Spread a Smile team of talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend quality time with patients in hospital through one-to-one visits and group sessions. Patients and their families will also be able to access virtual online events and activity sessions, including art clubs, balloon modelling, music lessons and more, enabling the charity to see and support as many people as possible. All with the aim of spreading hundreds of smiles and a lot of happiness to children undergoing treatment for serious illness and their families.

Children at Alder Hey will be able to join special themed virtual activity days celebrating seasonal occasions such as Christmas, benefit from regular treat drops and entertainer visits scheduled throughout the year, all giving seriously ill children and their families the opportunity to join in with fun and exciting experiences that they may otherwise not have access to.

Justine Louise Makin, Play Service Manager, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said, “We would like to say a huge thank you to ‘Spread a Smile’ for the wonderful input we have received from the charity, so far. The kind and generous donations have been invaluable in providing our CYPF with fun and joy during their stay in hospital. Being in hospital is difficult at any time, therefore receiving the amazing toys, activities, materials and equipment that ‘Spread a Smile’ provide, has really put a smile on their faces and helped toward recovery, recuperation and rehabilitation.” 

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile’s partnership with Alder Hey Specialist Children’s Hospital is an opportunity for us to reach and support even more seriously ill children and young people in different parts of the country. We are delighted to be working together to develop a meaningful and impactful relationship which will support the great work carried out by the Alder Hey ward staff and Play Team and help to spread smiles when they are needed most.” 

Four years of smiles with Micro Scooters

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Spread a Smile and children’s scooter brand Micro Scooters are celebrating four years of partnership, marking a decade of donating scooters to hospitals across the UK to bring moments of fun, movement and freedom to seriously ill children.

Since 2021, Micro Scooters has donated hundreds of scooters to NHS hospitals, where they’ve become a much-loved part of life on the wards. Used by children undergoing treatment for serious illnesses, the scooters provide a rare sense of independence and joy during what is often a long and difficult time.

Micro Scooters has committed to donate 20 scooters along with helmets every month in 2025. These will be distributed to children receiving ongoing care at Spread a Smile’s 39 NHS partner hospitals across the UK.

“We are thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Micro Scooters,” said Laura Walter, Director of Services at Spread a Smile.
“Their donation offers the opportunity for physical activity, which is crucial to maintaining a child’s well-being. Scooting is an incredibly fun way to encourage children to stay active, especially when they are in hospital for extended periods. It offers a welcome distraction from treatment, supports rehabilitation goals, and helps children feel like kids again.”

Spread a Smile’s mission is to bring joy and laughter to seriously ill children and young people in NHS hospitals, hospices and homes through regular in-person visits and virtual entertainment. Its team of entertainers including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs supports children and families through the toughest of times.

Micro’s donations complement this work by offering entertainment and movement-based support that wouldn’t usually be available in a hospital setting.

“Micro Scooters has always been driven by the mission to give children and families a cleaner, greener way to explore the world,” said Ben Gibson, Managing Director at Micro Scooters.
“Our commitment to supporting children in hospital is something we’re incredibly proud of. We know these scooters offer far more than fun – they provide respite, they support recovery, and they help children feel a little more like themselves. Seeing their faces light up as they scoot through a hospital corridor is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.”

If you or your company would like to find out more about supporting and partnering with Spread a Smile, please email the fundraising team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org – thank you.

Supporting wellbeing and positive mental health

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Spread a Smile is committed to mental health support, for the families we meet through our entertainer visits, virtual sessions and family events and also for our team, through mental health first aid training and support.

12 – 18 May is Mental Health Awareness Week and we’re shining a spotlight on our work supporting the mental health of all of those we come into contact with as an organisation.

Every day, our entertainers visit children in hospitals and hospices, spreading smiles, making connections and bringing a little bit of joy and happiness during some very difficult times.

“Our entertainer visits are all about making time spent in hospital just a little bit easier. The impact of being in hospital can be huge, particularly if a child is very unwell and has been in hospital for a while, away from family and friends and everything they know and that makes them feel safe. Our entertainers focus on each child as an individual, making them feel special and giving them space and time to just have fun and be a child again. Sharing a smile or a positive experience can go a long way. Our visits are always met with such positive feedback with 100% of healthcare professionals reporting that Spread a Smile entertainer visits have a positive impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing.” (Spread a Smile Healthcare Professional Survey, April – Oct 2024)

The need for mental health support is growing: one in five children in England has a probable mental disorder (Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey, 2023). Spread a Smile currently supports children, young people and families at 39 NHS hospitals and 6 hospices. This includes The Mildred Creak Unit (MCU) at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), a small, intensive intervention unit which supports children aged 7-13 facing complex mental health challenges, including eating disorders and behavioural difficulties. The MCU offers a vital lifeline during difficult times and Spread a Smile is proud to have been supporting the Unit since July 2022 through special bespoke art initiatives and programmes.

Over the last year, Spread a Smile delivered 14 art and entertainment workshops during school holidays, working with the Unit’s Play Specialist and nursing staff to create a safe, supportive space. These workshops allow patients to reconnect with their identities, build confidence, express themselves and process emotions in different ways whilst being part of a shared experience which gives space to take pride in their accomplishments.

We also ran a six week Summer Art Programme in 2024 for children aged 10-16, during which children participated in sessions with professional artists, covering themes including Piaget clocks and Pointillism.

Spread a Smile’s sessions and support have been met with incredibly positive feedback and it’s been wonderful to see the progress made by patients. One patient, initially non-communicative, gradually engaged in activities and, after six months, was confidently chatting and leading a session, with staff describing her transformation as remarkable.

Laura Walter said, “Our work with the MCU shows the profound impact that creative, play-based interventions can have. As the numbers of children experiencing mental health difficulties grow, the work of the MCU and our support for it is more important than ever. We are proud that Spread a Smile’s interactions are making a meaningful difference for children experiencing mental health issues, providing moments of connection and expression, supporting emotional wellbeing and complementing the exceptional care from the MCU staff.”

To find out more about Spread a Smile’s work, visit spreadasmile.org

What a night! Gala Dinner 2025

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What a night for the Spread a Smile 2025 Gala Dinner, generously sponsored by Downing and held at the beautiful Corinthia London.

It was a truly incredible evening, bringing together friends and supporters of Spread a Smile, with an amazing £200,000 raised to support our work spreading smiles and bringing joy and happiness to seriously ill children and young people.

Our host, Spread a Smile Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, expertly guided us through proceedings, and we heard from our Co-Founders and Trustees, Josephine Segal MBE and Vanessa Crocker MBE about their inspiration for setting up the charity back in 2013.

We were also delighted to welcome Yen Chang, Consultant in Clinical Oncology and Clinical Lead for Proton Beam Therapy at University College London Hospital, who was interviewed by Suzi Ruffell about the impact of Spread a Smile’s support for patients, families and also for staff at UCLH.

We were also honoured to welcome the family of Emma Noto who bravely shared their journey with us through a beautiful new film about how Spread a Smile supported Emma, Mum Nathalie, Dad Carmelo and sister Clare after Emma was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare type of soft tissue cancer. We are so grateful to Nathalie and Carmelo for sharing experiences so bravely and you can watch and share Emma’s film here.

The room was filled with laughter and warmth and in true Spread a Smile style, our entertainers, including musicians, singers and magicians were on hand to delight and surprise our guests with their talents. Two of our entertainers, Collette Spinner and Jack Reitman made a huge impact on the audience with their performance of Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s ‘The Prayer’. Our magicians Nick, Sacha and Gary wowed the audience with their magic skills and Judge The Poet showcased his talents, making up poems for guests on the spot and expertly leading our pledge section from the stage.

You can take a look at photos from the event here (and a film from the night below), and make sure you keep an eye out for photos of the amazing LEGO® table centrepieces; each one made by one of the families we support using sets donated by our friends at the LEGO Group.

A huge thank you to everyone for joining is last night, for their kindness and commitment and for helping to raise such an incredible amount of money to ensure we can continue spreading smiles when they are needed most.

Particular thanks to our sponsor Downing, Suzi Ruffell for being the perfect host and to Corinthia London for making us all so welcome.

If you or your company would like to support our work further, please reach out to Tash Newall in our fundraising team at natasha@spreadasmile.org to start the conversation.

Silent auction and raffle now live!

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We’re excited to announce that our silent auction and raffle are now live!

This special fundraising initiative coincides with our upcoming Spread a Smile Gala Dinner, sponsored by Downing, taking place on Tuesday 6 May 2025 at Corinthia London. Even if you can’t attend the dinner, you can still participate, and support Spread a Smile, with the auction and raffle open from now until 10:15pm BST on 6 May.

We’ve collated a selection of incredible prizes in the silent auction including:

  • Tickets for Coldplay’s sold out opening night at Wembley
  • Premier League tickets
  • Diamond jewellery and pamper sessions
  • Tickets for Latitude Festival, West End shows and more

And for just £10 a ticket, you could be in with a chance of winning an incredible prize in our raffle, including a two-night stay at the idyllic Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire. So what are you waiting for?

Place your bids and buy tickets here!

Every bid and raffle ticket purchased helps us spread more smiles to seriously ill children and their families across the country.

How it works:

  • Register: Sign up in under a minute on the Givergy site.
  • Bid or buy: Place bids on your favourite auction items or purchase raffle tickets at just £10 each.
  • Watch the leaderboard: Receive instant notifications if you’re outbid.
  • Celebrate: Winners will be announced during the Gala Dinner on 6 May (around 10.15 – 10.30pm BST) or by email on 7 May.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, 100% of the proceeds from all auction items will directly benefit Spread a Smile, supporting our mission to bring joy to seriously ill children and their families.

Please do check back in as new prizes may be added.

Place your bids and buy tickets here!

Over 18’s only, T&Cs apply. This raffle is subject to the regulations of the Gambling Act 2005 and we have the appropriate license/registration.