News

Mental Health Awareness Week

 1024 683 Hannah Myers
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This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re highlighting the importance of emotional wellbeing for seriously ill children and their families at Spread a Smile.

At Spread a Smile, supporting the emotional wellbeing of seriously ill children and their families is at the heart of everything we do. Alongside the medical treatment children are receiving, we believe emotional support, connection and moments of joy are just as important during some of the most challenging times families can face.

Serious illness can turn worlds upside down. Long hospital stays, intensive treatment and time away from home place enormous pressure on the wellbeing and mental health of children, young people and their families. Families are often separated from loved ones, daily routines and the experiences that make up a typical childhood, leading to feelings of isolation, uncertainty and emotional exhaustion.

Through our family-centred approach, Spread a Smile provides support during treatment and recovery. From in-person hospital visits that bring laughter, creativity and connection, to family events and outings that create precious shared memories, and virtual entertainer sessions that offer comfort wherever families are, we remain committed to being there whenever we are needed most.

The impact of this work is reflected in our latest impact report, with 100% of healthcare professionals saying Spread a Smile visits have a positive impact on patients’ mental health and wellbeing.*

Our 2026 Parent, Carer and Patient Survey also highlighted the difference these visits make:**

  • 100% of children and young people said a visit made them feel happy
  • 99% said our entertainer visits made their time in hospital better
  • 98% said the visit improved their child’s hospital experience
  • 100% said Spread a Smile brought joy to their child
  • 90% of parents and carers felt supported during visits
  • 93% said visits helped ease stress

Laura Walter, Director of Services at Spread a Smile, said, “At Spread a Smile, we see first-hand the emotional impact serious illness has on children, young people and their families. It can be isolating, exhausting and overwhelming as families adjust to a new way of living.

“Our family-centred approach supports wellbeing through in-person hospital visits bringing joy and connection, family events and outings creating time together as a family, and virtual sessions so families can access support wherever they are. We remain committed to supporting emotional wellbeing alongside medical care.”

One parent shared, “Spread a Smile is an amazing charity. Brightening up multiple hospital admissions we have had and also at home. Spread a Smile really does pick you up when you’re feeling the world is against you.”

Another said, “Spread a Smile has made such an incredible difference in my son’s life. When they arrive in hospital, everything changes — his face lights up with pure joy. For a while, the pain and worry fade away.”

Mila added, “Spread a Smile take a bleak day and fill it with so much colour… it has almost completely replaced the bleakness.”

Just £30 could help fund an entertainer visit to a seriously ill child at their hospital bedside.

Donate Now

* Collated from the Spread a Smile Healthcare Professional Survey 2024 

** Collated from the Spread a Smile Parent/Carer/Patient Survey 2026 

Young Committee Event

 780 400 Hannah Myers
By:

Spread a Smile’s Young Committee hosted a sold-out pub quiz on 6 May 2026, raising £734 to support the charity’s work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and young people across the UK.

Held at Uncommon, the event welcomed 60 guests for an evening of fundraising, networking and friendly competition in support of Spread a Smile. The successful event was organised by the newly formed Young Committee under the leadership of new co-chairs Aaron Maurice and Joshua Maurice.

The Young Committee was established to help raise funds and awareness for Spread a Smile, while also providing ideas and insight, relevant to younger audiences and supporters. The committee is made up of ambassadors who have been personally impacted by the charity’s work and are passionate about inspiring the next generation to support Spread a Smile.

Aaron’s connection to the charity is especially meaningful, having been the inspiration behind how Spread a Smile first began more than 13 years ago. Aaron and Joshua are also nephews of one of Spread a Smile’s co-founders, Josephine Segal, making their involvement with the Young Committee deeply personal.
Aaron and Joshua said:

“We are both grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to chair the Spread a Smile Young Committee and inspire the next generation of supporters of a charity that means so much to us.

“To see our first event sell out and bring together 60 supporters was incredibly special, and we cannot thank our amazing committee members enough for all of their hard work, enthusiasm and support in making the evening such a success.

“Spread a Smile has a close, personal connection to both of us, and the Young Committee is a way for us to give back to a charity that has transformed our lives, our family’s and the lives of children across the country.

“This is the start of a long journey for us, and we’re looking forward to growing a network of like-minded, charity-focused people who want to use their careers as a platform to make a positive impact on the world.”

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive of Spread a Smile, added:

“We are incredibly proud and grateful for the support of Spread a Smile’s inspiring Young Committee. Together, they are helping us to reach new audiences, raise vital funds and share our work to help build the next generation of the Spread a Smile family.

“Huge congratulations to all of the committee members, and especially to Aaron and Joshua, who recently took on the role of co-chairs and have truly hit the ground running through a brilliant first event.”

The funds raised from the event will help Spread a Smile continue spreading joy and laughter to seriously ill children and their families.

If you would like to find out more about fundraising for Spread a Smile, please email fundraising@spreadasmile.org

Together – spreading smiles

 780 400 Susie
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Today we are shining a spotlight on our partnership with Together, who have supported Spread a Smile and the delivery of our entertainment services in the North West since November 2025.

Spread a Smile relies completely on the generosity of individual donors and companies, with Together’s support directly helping to fund vital in-person entertainer visits for seriously ill children and young people across two key North West hospitals: The Christie Hospital in Manchester (Proton Beam Therapy Centre) and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

We were delighted to welcome Together’s Community Impact Manager, Sonny Clements, on a visit to The Christie Hospital in March, providing an opportunity to see first-hand the difference these visits and their support make to seriously ill children and their families.

Sonny said, “Together is proudly supporting Spread a Smile – supporting their entertainment visits at both The Christie and Alder Hey. We are delighted to be supporting a fantastic initiative that allows to put smiles on children who need it most – it was an absolute pleasure visiting The Christie to witness this at first hand and I would like to say a huge thank you to the spread a smile team and the entertainers for making this visit happen.”

Rosie Perkins, Spread a Smile Partnerships Manager added, “We are extremely grateful to Sonny and everyone at Together for helping us to spread smiles to seriously ill children in hospitals in the North West. It is amazing to be able to directly link an organisation with the brilliant work we are doing supporting families local to them, helping Together to make a considerable and positive difference within their community.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the enthusiasm and generosity of companies such as Together and it’s a pleasure to work with them”

If you would like to find out more about how your company can get involved with the work of Spread a Smile, through our partnership programme or events, please email Rosie at rosie@spreadasmileorg

Mortlake Crematorium supports Spread a Smile

 1024 768 Susie
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Across the UK, crematoria are finding meaningful ways to support local and national charities such as Spread a Smile, raising vital funds to make a difference.

Recently, Mortlake Crematorium, Kew generously supported Spread a Smile as part of a national metal recycling initiative in partnership with Orthometals. The partnership sees metals (such as metal limbs), recovered after cremations with families’ consent, recycled and the proceeds donated to charity.

Mortlake Crematorium donated an incredible £4,250 through the initiative to help spread smiles to seriously ill children and young people, including to those receiving treatment at local hospitals such as West Middlesex Hospital, Kingston Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Natasha Bradshaw, Manager at Mortlake Crematorium said, “We wanted to support the great work that Spread a Smile does. It is so hard for a family watch a child go through treatment, sometimes being in hospital for long periods, or having to return to hospital on numerous occasions for treatment.  Being able to see their child smile and have fun in those times may give all involved a little relief.  The charity supports the families and siblings too which is just great. Kindness and joy are infectious and that is why Spread a Smile was such a great charity to nominate, as they bring joy on often difficult days for ill children and their families.”

Susie Baxter Head of Marketing for Spread a Smile, (pictured right) visited the Crematorium to receive the cheque, sharing more about how the charity’s entertainers spend time with seriously ill children in hospital, at our family events and through our online sessions, to bring moments of joy, distraction and happiness when they are needed most.

Susie said, “For children living with serious illness, time for fun and play can often feel out of reach. Thanks to the generosity of organisations such as Mortlake Crematorium and the bereaved families who kindly donate their loved ones’ metals, Spread a Smile will bring hope and joy to children and families going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. We are extremely grateful for their kindness and support helping us spread smiles to children local to them and across the country.”

If you know of a Crematorium local to you that might be interested in supporting our work, please do help spread the word or reach out to our fundraising team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org. We’d love to hear from you. Thank you.

 

Shining a spotlight on Trusts & Foundations

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

At Spread a Smile, we’re proud to bring moments of hope, joy and laughter to seriously ill children and young people across the country. None of this would be possible without the incredible generosity of the trusts and foundations who play such a vital role in making this work happen.

Funding from trusts and foundations is essential to our growth and sustainability. We work closely with our trust and foundation partners to deliver services that have a meaningful impact for seriously ill children and their families across the UK. We don’t receive any statutory funding, so every grant, from one-off donations to multi-year funding, is crucial to sustaining and growing our services.

This support helps us to:

  • Expand our hospital partnerships and reach more seriously ill children across the UK.
  • Sustain our core programme delivery, ensuring families can rely on us when they need us most.
  • Respond flexibly to the changing needs of hospitals, hospices and the children we support.

“St Faith’s Trust has provided a donation to Spread a Smile to fund visits to seriously ill children in Surrey hospitals. Although the trust’s engagement with Spread a Smile is very recent, we’ve been very impressed with their professionalism and responsiveness, as well as the obvious joy and happiness they bring to the children.”
Peter Terelak, Trustee, St Faith’s Trust

“Our approach to working with trusts and foundations is built on partnership and transparency. We take time to understand each funder’s priorities and provide clear, detailed evidence of the impact their support makes possible. We’re so grateful to all our trusts and foundations partners – a huge thank you.”
Kuljeet de Souza, Trusts & Foundations Manager

Thank you to all the trusts and foundations whose generosity makes our work possible. Your support helps ensure we can continue to be there for seriously ill children, spreading smiles where they’re needed most.

Join the Spread a Smile community! Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter to stay up to date with our latest charity news.

London Marathon 2026 success

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Spread a Smile’s largest-ever London Marathon team crossed the finish line this weekend, with 15 incredible runners completing the full 26.2 miles to raise vital funds for our work bringing joy to seriously ill children across the UK.

It was a beautiful day with an incredible atmosphere, as crowds lined the route to cheer on the marathon’s 59,000 participants, including our very special 15 who made us incredibly proud.

Every member of our team spent months preparing, fundraising and training, and their commitment and determination shone through from start to finish. Our team was dotted along the course and out in full force at the cheer points, supporting runners along the route and making sure they knew we were there every step of the way.

By taking on this remarkable personal challenge, the team raised vital funds for Spread a Smile, supporting our work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children in NHS hospitals across the UK. The London Marathon is an extraordinary achievement for everyone involved and makes a real difference to charities like ours.

One of our runners, Josh, shared his experience of the day:

“The heat made something already so challenging, at times unbearable but I GOT IT DONE!!! Through the many, many times I had to dig deep, I reminded myself of everybody’s incredible generosity and most importantly the real strength and resilience shown by the children and families, and the heroics of everybody at ‘Spread a Smile’. Thank you so, so, so much everyone!!”

If you have been inspired by the London Marathon, there are still places available to join us at the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 11 October. It’s a great opportunity to achieve something amazing while raising vital funds to support our work.

A heartfelt thank you to our 15 incredible runners, who took on the full London Marathon and made us immensely proud with their determination, commitment and spirit. We are also incredibly grateful to everyone who donated, cheered and supported our Team Smile runners.

To hear more about our events, fundraising opportunities and the impact of our work, sign up to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with our latest news.

Meet our London Marathon Runners

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

With the 2026 London Marathon just two days away, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on two very special members of Team Smile.

Meet Josh Crocker, son of our co-founder Vanessa, and Nicole Segal, daughter of our co-founder Josephine. It means so much to see the next generation of our founders’ families stepping up to give their time, energy and dedication to the charity.

Josh shares:

“I am really excited to be running the Marathon for Spread a Smile. Over the last 13 years I have seen how much the charity has grown and I am so proud to be raising funds to support their vital work.”

Nicole said:

“Running the London Marathon for Spread a Smile and the incredible families it supports is an absolute honour. I’ve been fortunate enough to see first-hand the impact that even the smallest moments of joy can bring. I’ll be thinking of the inspiring children, their siblings and families, the amazing entertainers, wider team and medical professionals with every mile.”

This year, we have 15 incredible runners taking on the marathon – our biggest team ever! We couldn’t be prouder or more grateful to every single one of them. If you’re heading down on Sunday, keep an eye out for Team Smile runners and give them a cheer.

Good luck to everyone taking part this weekend – we’re behind you every step of the way!

Feeling inspired? Join Team Smile at the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday 11 October and help us continue bringing joy to seriously ill children across the country.

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Underground Cookery School

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

We recently treated a group of 13 young people we support to a very special day out at the Underground Cookery School, giving them the chance to step away from clinical settings, spend time together and learn new skills in a supportive environment.

The session was designed to be hands-on, relaxed and fun. With guidance from expert chefs, the young people learned how to make authentic bolognese and fresh pasta from scratch, as well as chocolate soufflés. Not only was the experience enjoyable, but everyone picked up practical cooking skills they can use at home, and all the guests did an amazing job.

While waiting for their delicious pasta to cook, the group enjoyed a food-themed quiz, before finally sitting down together to tuck into the meal they had made.

For teenagers living with serious illness, extended hospital stays and ongoing treatment can often mean missing out on social time, shared experiences and opportunities to build independence. Many services are designed with much younger children or adults in mind, which can leave teenagers and young people with fewer chances to connect with others their age in a comfortable, informal setting. Experiences like this cookery day play an important role in creating space for teenagers living with or recovering from serious illness to relax, build friendships and enjoy time together away from medical environments.

One parent shared:

“I just wanted to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you for organising such a fantastic event for the children. It was clear how much thought, effort, and care went into every detail, and it truly made for a memorable experience.

Both Nally and Zara had an amazing time. From the activities to the atmosphere, everything was so well put together, and it was wonderful to see the children so engaged and happy.

We really appreciate all the hard work that went on behind the scenes to make it happen. Events like this make such a positive difference, and we’re very grateful.

Thank you once again, and we look forward to future events!”

At Spread a Smile, we pride ourselves on offering bespoke, engaging and inclusive events for children and young people living with serious illness. By creating these shared experiences, we help provide moments of normality, connection and joy for young people and their families, when they need it most.

Sign up to our e-news to be the first to hear about the impact made possible thanks to our amazing supporters.

 

Happy 13th Birthday Spread a Smile

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

On 11 April 2026, Spread a Smile celebrates 13 years since the charity was founded, bringing joy, comfort and distraction to seriously ill children and their families across the UK.

As we celebrate this milestone, a donation of £13 can help us continue delivering these moments of support to children and families when they need them most.

Spread a Smile began when Co‑Founder Josephine Segal saw the difference an entertainer made to her nephew, Aaron, while he was receiving treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). After a magician’s visit lifted Aaron’s spirits, he asked if other children on the ward could have the same experience. That moment inspired Josephine and her friend Vanessa Crocker to found the charity, working closely with GOSH.

Thirteen years on, Spread a Smile now works with 39 NHS hospitals across the country. We deliver regular in person entertainer visits to hospital wards, alongside virtual sessions and treat drops, including 2,000 bespoke festive Smile Hampers sent to seriously ill children and their siblings at Christmas. Alongside this, we run a wide range of family events, from Summer and Winter parties to theatre trips and shared experiences outside of the hospital environment, all designed to support children and families living with serious illness.

We marked our birthday with special visits to Great Ormond Street Hospital, King’s College Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital and The Royal London Hospital. Young patients and healthcare professionals enjoyed entertainment, delicious treats from Lola’s Cupcakes and gifts for children on the wards.

We are incredibly proud of the impact Spread a Smile has had over the past 13 years and deeply grateful to our supporters, whose generosity makes every visit, smile and shared moment possible. Thank you to our supporters, corporate partners, volunteers, hospitals we work with

Donate £13 today to help us continue supporting seriously ill children and their families.

Here’s to 13 years of spreading smiles where they’re needed most.

Noah’s story

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Today, for National Siblings Day, we are sharing the special story of Noah and his twin sister Naima. Noah was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in May 2022. At the time, he was only two years old.

Read Noah’s story

During long periods of intense treatment, everyday moments of togetherness became vital for both Noah and Naima. Serious illness impacts the whole family, especially siblings who often face time apart. Spread a Smile began visiting Noah at his bedside at Great Ormond Street Hospital in July 2022. Our entertainers sang his favourite songs to bring a sense of normality back to their lives.

Noah and Naima’s mum, Dilly, shared what these visits meant for their family:

“Spread a Smile give Noah and Naima time to laugh, have fun and enjoy themselves together. When I see that, I am also able to laugh and relax. I can just enjoy being with them in that moment.”

We are proud to partner with Children with Cancer UK to bring joy to seriously ill children and their siblings across the country. Together, we bring joy through in-person and virtual entertainer visits across NHS hospitals. Our partnership also provides wonderful family events, including our magical Summer and Winter parties.

Be the first to hear about Spread a Smile’s latest news – sign up to our monthly e-newsletter.