News

New NHS partnership with The NHNN

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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce a new partnership with The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NHNN is the UK’s largest dedicated neurological and neurosurgical hospital, providing comprehensive services for the diagnosis, treatment and care of all conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system and muscles.

NHNN is an adult hospital, but Spread a Smile will be supporting young people receiving specialist treatment at the hospital, with our talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, spending quality time with patients through regular monthly in-person visits. In addition, patients and their families will be able to access a range of Spread a Smile support services including virtual sessions, outings and events.

Frenchesca James-Young, Advanced Youth & Young Adult Support Co-ordinator for The NHNN/UCLH said: “One of our patients, B, has been at the NHNN for 6 months, following a swift transfer from another hospital. This time has been a rollercoaster for both him and his Dad, with B rapidly deteriorating and being moved to the ITU at the NHNN. There were many points where we thought he would not have seen Christmas.  

“During this time, I contacted Spread a Smile, having worked with them previously, to see if they would consider visiting young people in an adult setting at The NHNN to help spread smiles. Of course, Spread a Smile responded immediately, making it happen.

“For a patient like B, aged 22 but developmentally aged around 6/7, this was instrumental in helping to boost his mood from the day to day medical things that were happening to him. Spread a Smile brought magic and songs, cheer and joy into an adult hospital – something we hadn’t seen before.

“Fast forward to Christmas 2024 and Spread a Smile organised a special visit on Christmas Day for B on ITU! They brought an amazing gift hamper full of things he loved – Toy Story’s Buzz lightyear, football and stickers to name a few.

“B is not the only young person who has benefitted from the joy Spread a Smile brings. Our project sees patients up to the age of 24 – some want to sing, some might miss their dog at home and love meeting the Spread a Smile therapy dogs, some enjoy the tricks by the magicians.

“I can’t thank Spread a Smile enough for all they do and the joy I get from seeing the faces of patients, their families and the staff around them is truly amazing.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile is proud to be supporting young patients at The NHNN, helping to provide distraction and much needed moments of engagement and fun. We are looking forward to our visits, meeting even more patients, families and staff and spreading as many smiles as possible.”

Click here to find out more about our work with 36 NHS hospital and 6 hospice partners across the country.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2025

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Monday 3 – Sunday 9 February is Children’s Mental Health Week, which aims to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.

Every day at  Spread a Smile, we meet children and young people who have been diagnosed with serious or terminal illnesses. We see how these diagnosis take over day-to-day life, with appointments, treatment plans, hospital stays and time spent feeling unwell and away from family and friends and everyday experiences. Altogether it can have a seriously negative effect on mental health and well-being and it is our mission to support the most seriously ill children and their siblings, helping to improve their mental health as they navigate their way through illness and treatment.

We do that through entertainment, fun, music, magic, arts, in-person and online visits and so much more. We bring light during the darkest of times, providing distraction and a safe space to engage, learn and have fun. In our most recent family survey…

  • 98% of children and young people said that a visit from Spread a Smile made the time their time in hospital better.
  • 93% said they felt happy after a visit from our entertainers, as compared to 14% before our visit.

As a charity we will continue to do everything we can to spread smiles and bring a little joy to children going through the worst of times.

You can make a donation to support our vital work here.

If you would like to find out more about Children’s Mental Health Week and the resources available to get involved, please visit the website here.

Golf Days return in 2025

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For the latest information on our 2026 Golf Days, please click here. 

This year, our much loved Golf Days will take place on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September at the prestigious Woburn Golf Club and generously sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors Fund.

The club is part of The Bedford Estates, London and the first 54 Hole venue to have all three courses ranked in Golf Monthly Magazines TOP 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland. It is a beautiful location and we can’t wait to welcome you all there to play on The Duke’s Course.

More information about the day and reserving your four-ball can be found here, or email Tash Newell to sign up today. We’d also love to hear from you if you’re interested in exploring our sponsorship opportunities.

Over the years, thousands of pounds have been raised through our Golf Days for our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children, young people and their families. They offer something a little bit different, with our entertainers joining our teams around the course to provide entertainment and share a little bit of Spread a Smile magic. They are genuinely days to remember, with guests coming back year on year and we hope to welcome many of our supporters in September.

Event details:
Venue: Woburn Golf Club, Little Brickhill, Milton Keynes, MK17 9LJ
Dates: Thursday 25 September (12pm shotgun start with brunch, then dinner at 6pm)
Friday 26 September (10am shotgun start with breakfast followed by lunch at 4pm)
Four-ball: £1,400
Sponsorship opportunities: Starting from £300 for Tee sponsorship

See photos from our 2024 Golf Days here.

With thanks to our sponsor:

Proud to support Race Equality Week

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Race Equality Matters is a UK-wide initiative working to achieve race equality in workplaces. Each year, it hosts Race Equality Week (this year starting on Monday 3 February), which brings people together to raise awareness and tackle barriers to race equality.

Unfortunately, as shown from thousands of individuals taking part in polls, progress has been slow, and a key challenge is improving understanding of race-related issues. Race inequality can only be addressed and eradicated if everyone takes action.

As part of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work, our team will be taking part in the 5-Day Race Equality Challenge, an impactful way to learn about race inequality, covering various different themes.

‘’Every small step we take is like sowing the seeds for change — whether big or small, each action matters.’’

If you or your organisation would like to find out more about getting involved, you can find out more here.

The Lion King a roaring success

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With January in full swing, Spread a Smile hosted another brilliant family outing last week to see The Lion King at London’s Lyceum Theatre!

16 families joined us for a lovely afternoon together, starting with a wonderful pre-show party, brimming with entertainment from our talented Spread a Smile entertainers.

Families were treated to magic, face painting, engaging arts and crafts activities and even a fairy sing a long! There were also plenty of delicious treats to enjoy, including pizza and the adorable animal cupcakes from Lola’s.

As usual, the performance itself was breathtaking and our guests enjoyed soaking up the magic and wonder of The Lion King. It certainly was a day filled with laughter, smiles, and a lot of singing.

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the incredible opportunity to attend The Lion King yesterday. Olivia and I had such a wonderful time—it was honestly magical and such a treat for both of us.

“Your organisation was seamless, and the little surprises were just lovely. Olivia was over the moon with her gift—it made her feel so special—and having a photo with the cast was such a perfect touch. She hasn’t stopped talking about it!

“It was so nice to just step away from everything for a while and enjoy such a vibrant, uplifting show together. Moments like this are so precious, and I’m so grateful to you for making it happen.

“Thank you for spreading so much joy and for creating memories we’ll treasure forever. You really made a difference to our day—and our week!” Izabella and Olivia

Spread a Smile organises regular outings and events for the families we support providing a chance for them to have fun and make memories together.

To find out more click here.

Sweet fundraising success

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As a charity, we rely on generous companies and individuals to fund our work and are grateful to all of our brilliant fundraisers who use their talents and energy to raise vital funds for our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people.

Jess, aged 9 raised an incredible £236 for Spread a Smile after being introduced to the charity by her Dad, Shaun Simons.

Shaun told us, “Jess wanted to raise money to help others and came up with the fundraising idea herself, deciding that a sweet stall outside our home would be a fun and effective way to do it.

“I have been involved with Spread a Smile for a while as Chair of their Real Estate Committee and Jess has always admired the charity’s work. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the charity she wanted to support, knowing what an amazing cause it is.

“I’m immensely proud of the initiative Jess took and I hope it inspires other young people to think of creative ways to support good causes. She did everything herself, picking, packing and selling the sweets and it was a brilliant achievement.”

A huge thank you to Jess for all her hard work and support – you’re a superstar.

If Jess has inspired you, please get in touch with Rimi at rimi@spreadasmile.org to chat about your fundraising ideas and how we can support you.

Art at The Christie, Manchester

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Every month, our entertainers spend time at The Christie Hospital, Manchester, supporting young patients receiving treatment for cancer in The Proton Beam Therapy Centre. The visits mark an exciting time for Spread a Smile as we develop our work supporting seriously ill children and their families in the North West of England.

Spread a Smile Artist, Esther recently joined the charity and we spoke to her about her work supporting Spread a Smile to bring our art initiatives into the hospital including personalising radiotherapy masks for patients undergoing treatment at the Centre.

“I was familiar with the work of Spread a Smile though a friend who works for the charity and was delighted when she reached out after seeing my work as an artist on social media.

“Art was always my favourite subject at school and I have always loved to draw and make things. I studied fashion at University and have had multiple jobs in the creative space for multiple, large companies. I left my office job last year to focus all my time on my own creative business and in that same week, Spread a Smile were in touch. I’m based in the North West and my friend explained that the charity was developing their work in that area. It felt like it was meant to be! Meeting some of the wider team during the interview process underlined just how special the charity is. Everyone is so warm and friendly. Now I get to share my passion for creativity and art with the children, young people and their families at the hospital. 

“The Christie Hospital is such a bright place, with a positive energy and atmosphere. They have a playroom with books and toys, along with tables and chairs that I can set the art up on. It feels like a privilege to spend time with the children receiving treatment there. They can come in feeling unwell from treatment or a bit unsure meeting new people for the first time, but the next minute they can be chatting and laughing with you. It is very inspiring.

“I initially spent a lot of time listening to how the team interacted with the children, learning how to support them best. During the art sessions, I provide different options suitable for different ages, so I might take line drawings for children to colour in, stickers to make pictures, bracelet making, wreath making, decorating pumpkin drawings or materials to create Christmas cards.

“I love the work I do helping to personalise radiotherapy masks which can look so clinical and intimidating at the start. The child or their parents let me know what they would like on the mask – a character or something they love or enjoy. So far I have been asked for Teletubbies, boxing, Fortnite, Pokemon, Spiderman and Jo Jo & Gran Gran. I use paint pens to illustrate the mask and create something really personal for each child.

“My hope is that painting the masks helps them to feel more familiar and colourful and less intimidating and I’ve received some really positive feedback so far.

“I feel so much empathy for the families I meet. When I was 21 I was diagnosed with a serious, lifelong health condition which changed my life, involving multiple stays in hospitals and frequent check-ups. As an adult I know how scary it is to receive a life-changing diagnosis – it must be so much harder for a child. By taking arts and crafts into hospital to help entertain and pass the time, I feel I can help to bring some joy, relief and distraction from what they are going through. Being able to help with the masks feels like such a privilege.  

“I feel so grateful to be working with such an amazing charity. Art can make such a positive difference and I’m so proud to be able to share art to uplift and bring joy when it’s needed most.”

Our 2023-24 Annual Report

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We are delighted to share our 2023/24 Annual Report with you.

We hope you enjoy reading about our achievements during this time, spreading smiles and joy to seriously ill children and their families and working closely with our NHS hospital and hospice partners.

Thank you for being part of the Spread a Smile family and for your ongoing support and commitment.

Click here to view the report.

Our 2025 Winter Party

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On Saturday 18 January we kicked off 2025 in style with an amazing Winter Party at St Mary’s Marylebone London.

It was an incredible day which saw us welcome nearly 500 of the children and young people we support including their families.

Held over two floors, this very special family event was packed full of different stalls and activities for our VIP guests to enjoy, run by the Spread a Smile team and over 70 brilliant volunteers.  There was something for everyone including gingerbread biscuit decorating, nail art, face painting, glitter tattoos, friendship bracelet making, arts and crafts, LEGO, plant pot decorating and more.

“We had the BEST time at the Winter Party – thank you so much Spread a Smile! Jacob and Kaitlin had so much fun and the staff and all the volunteers were so nice. Marina as always did the most amazing face painting and Jacob couldn’t wait to see Tasha and Nick again. We had a fantastic day and met some new lovely families there and the children loved the goodies they came home with. They were spoilt with things to make and do. Thank you all so much.” Lucy, Mum to Jacob and Kaitlin

We were joined by All About Anna’s Animals who brought along some gorgeous animals to hold and learn more about including a snake, tortoise and tarantula. Guests also enjoyed fun on our bumper cars, making flower crowns with our friends from Freddie’s Flowers, slime with Slime Planet, a Formula 1 driving experience from 4-Events, a Silent Disco thanks to the Silent Disco Company and a cool 360 video booth from Choclato.

Our brilliant team of Spread a Smile entertainers joined us to fill the day with music, singing, dancing, bubbles, magic, poetry and much more. Guests also enjoyed the world premiere of the first ever Spread a Smile pantomime. (Oh yes they did!)  Elsa from Frozen welcomed children to the stage for a dance and a sing-a-long and our Therapy Dogs Thomas and Smartie loved meeting guests.

To keep everyone going, we put on food and treats galore, including Sushi rolls from SushiDog, delicious pizzas from Wandering Pizza Company, sweet treats from Funshine Candy Floss and yummy cupcakes and treats from our friends at Lola’s Cupcake and Mildreds. We also made sure parents and carers were given a special self-care moment with hand massages, aromatherapy plus hairdressing by Elle and Karen Clancy.

We are extremely proud to deliver days such as this for the families we support and it was lovely to see so many of them relaxing and meeting the team and other families. We were also delighted to welcome some of our Trustees to share in the magic of this very special day.

Thank you to our friends from Constellia and Children with Cancer UK for generously supported this event. Also, to our wonderful volunteers for giving up their time to make the day possible and those who donated supplies, food and drink. Shout out to C. Hoare & Co, Hain Daniels, Hasbro, Lola’s Cupcakes, LMAC Group, Mildreds, Peel Hunt, Redstor, Sidekick Management, the LEGO Group and XTX Markets.

Thank you to all of our friends, families and colleagues for joining us and making our Winter Party 2025 one to remember. Watch this space for details of our Summer Party.

To help ensure we can continue to spread smiles to seriously ill children and young people, please donate here. Thank you.

If you would like to find out about attending our family events in the future, please register for our services and sign up to receive our Family Newsletter here.

George’s story…

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George was just three years old when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Spread a Smile supported George and his parents, Lisa and David, during George’s treatment. We were there during some of the most difficult times, bringing important moments of respite, fun and happiness.

We are so grateful to Lisa and David for allowing us to tell their story.

Please take a moment to watch and share George’s story below. And we’d love to hear from you if you or your company can help ensure Spread a Smile can continue to be there for seriously ill children and their families during the darkest of times.

You can also donate at spreadasmile.org/donate

Thank you.

In memory of George.