News

Outings and events for the whole family

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We know that everyone in a family is deeply affected by the illness of a child or sibling. It can mean that families are separated for long periods of time during treatment phases, with routines and day-to-day life changing to manage the demands of treatment plans and medical procedures.

Spread a Smile organises outings, events and activities that aim to support young patients, their parents, carers and siblings and bring moments of respite, joyful experiences and enduring memories at the most challenging of times.

Gary Broadway (Family Events Coordinator) and Ellen Walker (Head of Family Events)

Our Head of Family Events, Ellen Walker, shared a bit more about our family events programme and why it is so important.

“Illness can bring with it huge amounts of stress and pressure for the families we support. There often isn’t much time for outings or fun family activities and sometimes there can be added financial pressures should one parent need to stop working to help care for an unwell child.

“Our family events programme aims to support families going through these extremely difficult situations. All of our outings are completely free of charge and range from trips to the theatre to see shows such as The Lion King, zoo visits, tea parties, workshops, cinema outings, parties, Formula 1 days, cooking experiences and so much more.

“The whole family is invited and it’s a chance for them to just relax and have fun. They can also meet and share with other families who have been through similar experiences. We make the events as fun as possible with lots of food, drinks and treats. Plus, our amazing entertainers are always on hand with music, magic, face-painting, arts and crafts and so much more. There’s such a positive, party atmosphere and a real sense of family and community and we receive such lovely feedback after events, with parents telling us the difference they have made. It’s a chance for them to create happy memories together and that is so important.

“So far this year, we’ve curated 36 brilliant events for the families, welcoming hundreds of children along with their siblings and family members. The majority are focussed in around the London area to correspond with our services provision, and we try to make sure they appeal to a range of ages, also catering for all family members that join us. This year we have introduced more events aimed at teenagers and also children with additional needs.

“Our next event is our annual Winter Party when we hope to welcome over 600 people during the day. It’s looking set to be an incredible event with delicious food stands, sweet treats, games, activities, entertainment and more. We also have an annual Summer Party in Coram’s Fields which is wonderful and much loved by our families. It’s location means that in-patients from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) are able to come down and spend a bit of time with us should they be well enough to do so.

“As we head into 2025, we aim to provide up to four events a month, meaning well over 40 events this year. We’re always extremely grateful to our volunteers who give up their time to support our events and make sure they are as successful as possible. Also to our wonderful supporters for sponsoring or helping to fund them. We’re really excited about our plans this year and are looking forward to welcoming more families, helping them to create a bank of happy memories.

You can find out more about our family events here. If you are company who would like to support or sponsor our events, please do get in touch with us by email.

Supporting our NHS hospital and hospice partners

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As a charity, our aim is to provide entertainment and support to children struggling with serious and chronic illnesses and conditions. A large part of our work achieving this is by working with NHS hospital and hospice partners to reach children and young people receiving treatment and care in their settings.

We currently work in partnership with 35 NHS hospitals and 6 hospices and in today’s blog, our Director of Services, Laura Walter, shares more about this important area of our work.

“Spread a Smile’s journey started nearly 12 years ago in Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) when our Co-Founders started taking a small team of entertainers in twice a month to visit and provide entertainment to young patients on the wards. It wasn’t long before word of our work spread and demand for our in-hospital services started to grow, leading to expansion into other large specialist children’s hospitals and hospitals offering specialist care for young people such as St Mary’s Hospital, The Evelina Children’s Hospital, University College Hospital (UCLH).

“Being a London based charity, the natural focus for expansion has been London and surrounding areas and our partnerships have often started with approaches by hospitals for support, to compliment existing play services and help fill gaps in resource to provide children with distraction and opportunities for play. 

“When the Covid pandemic hit, we were no longer able to go into hospital to visit children in person. This was devastating for everyone involved and at a time where children in hospital needed play opportunities, support, and distraction more than ever before. So, we quickly started to offer our services virtually – initially to our hospital partners and any children struggling with illness who needed support. As a result, this has led us to expand our services beyond London to larger specialist children’s hospitals across England such as Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and Nottingham Children’s Hospital, offering virtual entertainment that can be accessed from anywhere.

“In recent years, we have also started to support smaller District General Hospitals around London, prioritising those with Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCU). These hospitals often don’t have access to the same resources and support in areas such as play and entertainment. Our aim is to provide a regular touchpoint for young patients coming through these hospitals, giving them ways to access our services should they be referred somewhere else or need us virtually. 

“Going forward, demand for our services is ever growing and we have spent time over the past few months looking at this need and how we can provide the best support with the most impact. As we head into 2025/26, we’ll be focussing on equalising support across our London based specialist hospitals and continuing to try and reach as many children and young people as possible with serious and chronic illnesses in this area. We know from experience, that this is where our work can have the most impact.  We will also continue to support our current 6 hospice and District General Hospital partners.

“Beyond that, we’ll be developing our work supporting specialist children’s hospitals across the country with the aim of eventually supporting every one of these settings in England. This piece of work has already started with our work in the North West providing in person visits monthly to The Christie Hospital in Manchester and we are looking forward to expanding into two more hospitals in the North West over the coming year.

“When we visit a hospital, although the partnership may focus on supporting the most seriously unwell children, no child is ever left out. Our entertainers can be found singing to children in reception areas, waiting for general appointments, doing magic tricks for parents in waiting rooms and generally spreading smiles to any child visiting a hospital.

“Our plan is to do what we do now as well as possible and to maximum effect. Then as we grow as a charity we’re excited to reach into new areas and new parts of the country, spreading the Spread a Smile magic to as many families that need us as possible.”

To stay up to date about our plans and work, please sign up to our monthly e-newsletter. We’d also love to hear from you if you or your company can support or fundraise for us in any way. Email the team today at fundraising@spreadasmile.org

Thank you.

Our entertainers – meet Collette

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Spread a Smile’s talented team of entertainers put the ‘smile’ in Spread a Smile and include musicians, singers, magicians, performers, artists, poets, balloon modellers and therapy dogs. Each one is incredibly skilled, able to use their talents to bring a little bit of joy to seriously ill children and their families during some of the most challenging times of their lives.

Collette has been with Spread a Smile since the charity was founded in 2013. Originally one of our entertainers, today Collette is a Visit Manager, entertainer and a much loved and recognised member of the team, leading regular visits to our hospital and hospice partners and part of our 100-strong entertainer team.

Collette said, “I originally met Spread a Smile Co-Founder, Josephine, when I was performing at a gig for her husband’s birthday. She told me that she and her friend Vanessa were starting the charity and asked if I would come on board as a singer to help entertain children at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Naturally I jumped at the chance.

“In those early days, I was one of five entertainers who joined Josephine and Vanessa twice a month to visit children and young people receiving treatment at GOSH. Along with brilliant talents such as Mr Magic and Judge the Poet, we would bring music, singing, magic, poetry and fun onto the wards. The fact that all three of us still work for the charity to this day is a testament to the wonderful organisation that Josephine and Vanessa have created.

“At the time, there was nothing really like what Spread a Smile was offering to our hospital partners. We would receive so much positive feedback from patients, families and staff alike, telling us what a breath of fresh air we were and how we were helping to bring some light and happiness during some really difficult times for children on the wards. We all knew really early on how important Spread a Smile’s work was and it was easy to see how this drove Josephine and Vanessa on to grow the charity and reach even more young people in even more hospital settings.

“I have learnt so much working for Spread a Smile, as a person, singer and entertainer. To be able to use something I love to bring joy to others is huge and every day I feel grateful to have been given the opportunity to help make a difference. We work really hard to make sure our visits and interactions are tailored to each child’s needs. Our fairies bring so much joy to the younger children we meet for example and our team includes magicians that appeal to a range of ages. As a singer, I often receive wildly different requests for songs, from Disney to the latest Number 1, so it’s important to stay up to date with what’s out there and what’s popular. Talking about music is always a great conversation starter and it focuses in on the child straight away. It’s about what they like and want to hear and let’s them know that we are there just for them. The children are the ones making the decisions for a change which is really important when they are dealing with serious illness as a lot of autonomy around day-to-day life and childhood experiences can be lost.

“I am lucky to work with some incredibly talented entertainers (now friends) and every day I see the difference music, magic or distraction of any kind can make to a child in hospital. It can help to break up long hours and days of boredom in hospital or provide a much needed distraction from pain and the worries of illness and treatments. As entertainers, we are a friendly face when it’s needed most.  

“Knowing that the children and also staff in hospital look forward to our visits means so much. Being a Spread a Smile entertainer is one of the most valuable things I will ever do, and I am proud to continue to be part of this wonderful charity.”

To find out more about our work, please click here.

Three Peaks Challenge Discount

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Join us for our National Three Peaks Challenge from Friday 4 – Sunday 6 July 2025 and save 50% off the registration fee if you sign up by 31 January using our exclusive SMILE50 discount code.

Get ready for a fast-paced and physically challenging adventure, as you take on the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales: Ben Nevis (1,344m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) (1,085m).

Over the course of two days, you will trek around 26 miles and ascend to a total height of almost 3,000m. This is a serious and tough challenge which requires a good level of fitness, as well as plenty of grit and determination. Ultimately, however, your hard work will be rewarded with spectacular views and a huge sense of achievement. Plus you’ll be raising vital funds to help spread smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

You can find the full itinerary and details here or email Rimi at rimi@spreadasmile.org to chat about what’s involved.

New year, new challenge

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As we head into the New Year, it’s the perfect time to take on your next challenge and make a meaningful difference.

Whether you’re looking to push your limits in fitness, bring your team together for a memorable adventure, or tick off a personal goal, we’ve got an event for you. Check out our challenges page here for inspiration or why not take on…

London Landmarks 2023You can also find a full list of exciting marathons and half marathons around the country here. And enjoy 50% off the registration fee for our Three Peaks Challenge when you sign up by 31 January. (Using the code SMILE50).

Every penny you raise will bring joy to children facing serious illnesses, creating moments of happiness when they’re needed most.

Make this year one to remember. The challenge starts with YOU.

For more information or if you have any questions please contact rimi@spreadasmile.org.

Spread a Smile on Sky News

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On the morning of 23 December, we were delighted to be invited onto Sky News to talk about our Christmas initiatives, spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people.

Spread a Smile Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson along with our entertainer, Betty the Elf were interviewed live on Sky News talking about our in-person visits to 15 NHS hospitals across London, alongside our Smile Hamper initiative.

You can watch the interview below.

It’s a Spread a Smile Christmas

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Christmas is always a busy time for Spread a Smile because it is often a very difficult time of year for the families we support. So we make it our mission to do all that we can to spread smiles and share the excitement and joy of the season with those who may be struggling.

This year, Spread a Smile has reached more families than ever before through our festive initiatives, thanks to the wonderful support of our supporters, volunteers, donors, corporate partners and many other organisations who have helped make everything possible. Here’s a roundup of what we’ve been up to and how we’ve been spreading smiles this Christmas.

More Smile Hampers than ever before
This year we’ve sent out 1,874 personalised Smile Hampers to seriously ill children and their siblings in time for Christmas. This involved 560 volunteers joining us over 6 weeks, giving up over 115 hours of support in total to hand-pick thousands of gifts for the Smile Hampers.

“I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the amazing festive hampers we received for our three boys.
They absolutely loved them and we could truly feel the dedication and hard work that went into creating them.
As a mother of terminally ill children, the joy and smiles you brought to our family extends beyond the kids.
It has touched us as parents too. Your kindness and generosity have made a lasting impact on our family,
and we deeply appreciate it.” Parent

Supporting our hospital and hospice partners
During December we will have carried out 69 in-person visits to our NHS hospital and hospice partners, helping to spread some festive cheer. This includes;

  • Visits by Father Christmas and the Spread a Smile elves to 15 of our NHS Hospital partners, giving the opportunity for children spending time in hospital to meet Santa and receive a gift;
  • Visits to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) on Christmas Day and St Mary’s Hospital on Boxing Day, generously funded by our friends at Downing;
  • Support for Christmas Parties at 8 NHS hospital and three hospice partners (Newham Hospital, West Middlesex Hospital, The Royal London Hospital, University College Hospital, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Barnet Hospital, St George’s Hospital, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice, Helen & Douglas House and Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care).

A special virtual grotto for those unable to meet Santa in person
Our virtual Christmas Grotto gave children who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to meet Father Christmas in-person to have a personalised online meet up with the big man himself. We expect 200 children to visit our grotto, and we also organised hospital sessions for children on isolated wards at GOSH and also for children at Leicester Hospital, Southampton General Hospital, Wrexham Hospital and John Radcliffe Hospital.

Beautiful festive murals in NHS hospitals
Our Head of Art Marina visited King’s College Hospital, GOSH and St Mary’s Hospital to hand-paint some beautiful Winter and Christmas murals across the wards, helping to brighten up the clinical spaces and spread some festive cheer for the families and staff there. They are always so well received with Marina saying, “Going into hospital in the lead up to Christmas is always one of my favourite things to do. It’s lovely to see the children’s faces as they see the artworks coming together. Often, they tell me what they would like to see or want to chat about what I’m doing. It is a great distraction, and it brings out so many smiles – from the children and also parents and staff too. It’s nice to know we’re helping to spread so many smiles in the hospital environment.”

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us this festive season, helping to make all of this possible including:

  • those who have provided financial support;
  • individuals who bought gifts from our Amazon Wish List and companies who donated larger volumes of gifts for our Smile Hampers;
  • all of our volunteers who gave up their time to help pick and pack our hampers and DPD for making sure they all arrived safely.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We’d love to hear from you if you or your company would like to support us in 2025. Please email us at fundraising@spreadasmile.org to get involved. Thank you.

Downing making an impact with Spread a Smile

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Investment management firm, Downing, has been supporting Spread a Smile since 2023. We were picked as one of its charity partners following a staff vote.

Since then we have worked together to build a creative, engaging and meaningful partnership which has captured the hearts and minds of the team at Downing and made a huge impact for Spread a Smile and our work bringing joy to seriously ill children and their families.

To achieve this, Spread a Smile Chief Executive Lucy Jackson, has been working closely with the team at Downing, saying, “We’ve enjoyed spending time together to understand what the Downing wants to achieve from our charity partnership, and as a consequence have developed some really exciting engagement opportunities.

“We’ve welcomed Downing staff to volunteer at our annual Summer Party for the families we support and they have come into our office to help pack hundreds of Smile Hampers which we send each year to seriously ill children and their siblings in time for Christmas. It’s enabled everyone at Downing to see firsthand the difference they are helping to make and their enthusiasm and commitment to our cause has been wonderful.”

Alongside staff engagement and volunteering, Downing has directly helped to fund Spread a Smile’s work spreading smiles to children in hospital. This year the company is generously supporting our entertainer visits to Great Ormond Street Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, helping to bring a little seasonal joy to families with children in hospital over Christmas.

Downing employees have also enjoyed a variety of engagement opportunities though Spread a Smile’s events, including our annual Golf Days and Football Tournament. Chief Operating Officer, James Weaver also joined us for the Spread a Smile Real Estate Dinner in October which brought together industry professionals for an enjoyable evening of networking and conversation.

“It has been our privilege to be part of the Spread a Smile story and the incredibly important work that they do. Our partnership has far surpassed our expectations, proving to be rewarding, engaging and a real positive for our business.” James Weaver

We’ve provided fundraising opportunities for staff wishing to take on a personal challenge such as the Royal Parks Half Marathon and Downing Partner, Mark Gross, who initially nominated Spread a Smile for the charity partnership, helped to raise over £8,000 by taking part in a fundraising bike ride in 2023.

“Partnering with Spread a Smile has been an incredibly rewarding journey for all of us at Downing. It’s been inspiring to see the direct impact of our support and to know we’re helping bring joy to children and families during tough times. This relationship has enriched our team, and we’re proud to participate in such meaningful work.” Mark Gross

The partnership has gone from strength to strength and to celebrate our achievements, we’ve created a special film talking about what has made the partnership so special and mutually beneficial.

We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Downing and we’d like to say a huge thank you in the meantime to everyone there for their wonderful support, helping us to achieve so much for families going through some of the most difficult times. We couldn’t do it without them.

New partnership with Bain Capital spreads smiles

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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce a new partnership with Bain Capital which will see the private investment firm support the charity through a range of exciting initiatives.

To kick off the partnership, Bain Capital staff joined the Spread a Smile team to help pack 1,874 Smile Hampers being sent to seriously ill children and their siblings in time for Christmas. The willing volunteers hand-picked gifts with each recipient in mind. It was a brilliant opportunity to introduce the Spread a Smile’s work in more depth, with the Bain Capital team taking an active role supporting our families during one of the most difficult times of their year.

Alongside engaging in various volunteering opportunities, Bain Capital will fund 44 in-person hospital visits by Spread a Smile’s talented entertainers, enabling us to carry out bedside visits to 660 seriously ill children at St Mary’s Hospital, London. These visits will make a huge difference to the children and young people we support, providing moments of distraction and laughter in amongst the pain and worry of illness and treatment plans.

Spread a Smile Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson said, “We’re delighted and grateful to be working with Bain Capital to bring joy and happiness to seriously ill children in hospital. Everyone at Spread a Smile is looking forward to getting to know the team and spreading even more smiles together.”

A huge thank you to everyone at Bain Capital for joining the Spread a Smile family.

The Wandering Barber’s rickshaw challenge

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At the end of November, David Jamali aka ‘The Wandering Barber’ took on an incredible fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile and HoH Charitable Trust (Hand on Heart), travelling 3000km across India in a rickshaw.

David raised over £4,000 in the process saying, “This journey is not just about the adventure; it’s about making a difference. I am raising funds for two remarkable charities which are close to my heart, and I have had the privilege of supporting them through my work as a barber.

“Spread a Smile do incredible work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and their families during some of their darkest times. They organise visits from entertainers, therapy dogs, and even magicians to hospitals and hospices, creating precious moments of happiness. I have had the honour of cutting hair for terminally ill children, witnessing firsthand the positive impact of Spread a Smile’s efforts.”

As a charity that relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to carry out its work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people, everyone at Spread a Smile is extremely grateful to David for his efforts and support.

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive said, “David really has gone that extra mile through his fundraising efforts, taking on a brilliant and inspiring challenge. We can’t thank him enough for his support.”

If you would like to find out more about taking on a fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile, please email the team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org or visit our fundraising pages here.