News

Free will writing service

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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October marks Wills Month, a time to consider the importance of planning for the future, and Spread a Smile has teamed up with probate experts, Farewill, to provide a free will writing service for our supporters.

Writing a will provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones and ensures your wishes are honoured. It also offers a unique opportunity to leave a meaningful legacy to support a cause close to your heart.

As a charity, we receive no government funding and rely entirely on the generosity of our supporters and partners. These contributions enable us to continue providing entertainer hospital visits, family events, art initiatives and virtual sessions – moments of happiness that make a real difference during challenging times.

Whether large or small, your gift will help us reach more children and families across the country, offering vital moments of connection and joy and spreading smiles when they are needed most. You can find out more about the families we support and the impact your gift will make here.

Start your Will making journey with us today and leave a lasting legacy to ensure Spread a Smile can continue to provide our vital services for years to come. Thank you.

 

 

 

Variety Show a sell-out success

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Last night, we were thrilled to host our second Entertainer Variety Show at the Camden Club in London. The evening was a brilliant celebration of the incredible talent of our entertainers, who work so hard year-round to bring joy to seriously ill children and their families.

From in-person hospital visits to our 39 NHS hospital partners, to virtual visits and family events, our entertainers play a vital role in everything we do at Spread a Smile – spreading smiles where they’re needed most. This special evening was a chance to put them centre stage, to celebrate their talents and the joy they bring to others, and to share that magic with their friends and loved ones.

Guests were treated to an incredible line-up of performances, including comedy songs from Kerry, show-stopping singing from duo Ellie and Jasmin, music from Betty, Rosie and Joanna, and the vintage harmonies of The Wild Tonics. The magic continued with mind-blowing illusions from Amy, Lou, Sacha and Gary, spontaneous poetry by Judge the Poet, and an unforgettable performance from ventriloquist Chris and his cheeky sidekick, Nana. It was a night to remember, filled with so much talent and entertainment.

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive at Spread a Smile, said: “We are so proud to have brought our second entertainer Variety Show to the Camden Club, London. It was an honour to watch our talented entertainers light up the stage and bring so much joy and wonderful to see our team and supporters come together for an uplifting evening of music, laughter and fun, all to raise vital funds to help us continue spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families.”

A huge thank you to our amazing entertainer, Sar for being the driving force behind the event, and to our brilliant comperes, Aaron and Dov for bringing so much energy to the evening. We’re also incredibly grateful to the Camden Club for generously hosting us and helping to make the night such a success.

All proceeds from ticket sales will help us continue our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children, young people and their families and our thanks go to everyone who bought tickets, performed and joined us on the night.

Coming up next: Our Annual Comedy Night
Join us on Monday 17 November for our Comedy Night at The Comedy Store, London, hosted by Spread a Smile Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, with performances from Tom Allen, Rhys James and Harriet Kemsley. Tickets are selling fast, so book yours today.

 

Jon hall Trustee

Welcome new trustee: Jon Hall

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We are delighted to welcome Jon Hall, Group Managing Director at OSB Group, to the Spread a Smile Board of Trustees as Treasurer Trustee.

Having qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC, Jon has spent most of his Executive career in financial services, including CFO then CEO of a Building Society and as Manging Director launched a new challenger bank.

For the past 4 years, Jon has held the role of Treasurer Trustee of LittleLifts, a charity whose purpose is supporting every person affected by breast cancer in the UK, providing a free LittleLifts gift box when they start treatment.

Jon has been a corporate partner of Spread a Smile for the past 10 years including participating personally in fundraising, saying: “Having spent several years as a passionate supporter of Spread a Smile, seeing the amazing positive impact the team have on the lives of seriously ill children and their families, I’m delighted and privileged to be able to take on the role as Treasurer Trustee to support in helping the charity go from strength to strength.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Jon has been a wonderful friend and supporter of Spread a Smile for a number of years, and it is a pleasure to develop our relationship further and to welcome him to our Board of Trustees. Jon brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise that will no doubt have a hugely positive impact for Spread a Smile. Thank you to Jon and all of our Trustees for their commitment and support.”

Meet Spread a Smile’s Board of Trustees here.

snowdon news story

Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) Challenge

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Join us on 12 September 2026 for the incredible Yr Wyddfa Challenge – a triathlon set in the heart of Snowdonia National Park (Eryri), where you will venture through some of the UK’s most breath-taking landscapes by bicycle, kayak and on foot.

This unique triathlon includes:

  • A 15km cycle through the scenic roads of Snowdonia
  • A 3km kayak across the stunning glacial lake, Llyn Padarn
  • A 15km hike to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) via the Llanberis Path

This is not your average triathlon. Set against the dramatic Welsh landscape, the Yr Wyddfa Challenge offers a memorable and meaningful way to push yourself physically, enjoy spectacular landscapes all while raising vital funds to support Spread a Smile’s work bringing joy to young patients and their families.

The event is organised by Alder Hey Children’s Charity and, for the first time ever, brings together eight children’s charities – including Spread a Smile – for a shared fundraising challenge. Spread a Smile has been supporting Alder Hey with in-person entertainer hospital visits since December 2024, and we are proud to be taking part in this special event alongside other brilliant children’s charities.

Tasha Mann, Spread a Smile Events Manager says:
“This is such an exciting opportunity and a really special triathlon. The stunning Welsh scenery, the mix of hiking, kayaking and cycling – it’s not your usual challenge event. It’s the perfect plan to have in your 2026 calendar. Do it with a partner, a friend or a colleague, and show what you’re capable of – all while raising vital funds to spread smiles to seriously ill children and their families. Whether you’ve been personally touched by our work or simply believe in the cause, absolutely everyone is welcome – and all abilities are encouraged.”

By taking part, you’ll be joining an incredible community of supporters and helping us bring joy, distraction and moments of magic to children and young people facing serious illness.

Ready to take on the challenge?

Find out more and sign up by visiting our event page.

 

Royal parks half marathon 2025 spread a smile

Team Smile takes the Royal Parks Half Marathon

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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On Sunday 12 October, 50 incredible runners proudly represented Spread a Smile at the Royal Parks Half Marathon – one of the UK’s most-loved running events.

Our amazing #TeamSmile runners took on the 13.1-mile route through four of London’s Royal Parks: Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park, and Kensington Gardens, with every step raising funds to support our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

Spread a Smile Co-Founder Vanessa Crocker, Chief Executive Officer Lucy Jackson, and members of the team were there on the day to cheer, support, and celebrate each runner’s achievement.

Tasha Mann, Spread a Smile Community Fundraising Manager, said

“To each and every person who ran for Team Smile – thank you. It was incredible to see such a brilliant group come together to raise vital funds for our work. We know how much goes into preparing for an event like this, the training, the fundraising, and the determination it takes on the day itself – and we hope you’re proud of everything you’ve achieved. You’ve helped us bring so much joy to seriously ill children and their families.”

We’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who trained, fundraised, and ran as part of Team Smile. Your support means a great deal and helps us reach even more children facing difficult times, and we hope you join us again for another challenge event in the future.

Feeling inspired?
Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter to be the first to hear about exciting challenge events coming in 2026.

Play in Healthcare week spread a smile 2025

Play in Healthcare Week

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Play in Healthcare Week 2025

Play in Healthcare Week (PIHW – formerly known as Play in Hospital Week) is a special week which raises awareness of the benefits and importance of play in healthcare settings.

At Spread a Smile, we believe that play is integral to a child’s health, wellbeing and development. For children facing illness and time in hospital, away from friends, family and everything they know, play can be difficult to access. This is where Spread a Smile comes in; offering opportunities for play and moments of joy, connection, and normalcy in an otherwise clinical and often frightening environment.

Recent research reinforces what Spread a Smile has long known: play is an essential part of a child’s health and wellbeing, and its presence in healthcare settings can transform the experience of young patients. Despite this recognition, play often remains undervalued and under resourced in healthcare settings.

This Play in Healthcare Week, Spread a Smile will support our NHS hospital partners to help bring the joy of play into the hospital setting, including a schedule of regular in-person partner visits, a special one-off visit to Hillingdon Hospital, a cupcake decorating workshop at UCLH and more.

Spread a Smile’s talented entertainers will create meaningful opportunities for play that brighten hospital wards, providing opportunities for pain distraction and engagement and space for children just to be children again.

A scoping review by the University of Cambridge’s PEDAL Centre and Starlight Children’s Foundation highlights that play “can profoundly influence children’s experience of receiving healthcare and their perception of being well amidst health adversity”. Play helps reduce stress and anxiety, fosters emotional resilience, and even supports physical recovery. It allows children to process their emotions, gain a sense of control, and find comfort during challenging times.

As the UK government develops its 10-year health plan with a focus on creating “the healthiest generation of children ever”, Spread a Smile champions the vital role of play and joy in children’s healthcare. Every day, we witness its’ transformative impact and of laughter, creativity and connection on a child’s wellbeing. Our vision is for every seriously ill child in hospital to have access to play and moments of joy and no child feels alone in their journey. Please consider making a donation to help us do just that.

Spread a Smile has lots planned for Play in Healthcare Week…

A joyful start at Hillingdon Hospital
We will launch the week with a very special visit to Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, Spread a Smile entertainers Louise and Colette will spend the day visiting young patients with incredible balloon models, music and plenty of smiles.

An extra-special visit to John Radcliffe Hospital
As part of our expanded efforts for PIHW, we will be proud to arrange an additional visit to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Our entertainers will visit young patients across all inpatient and outpatient wards with personalised bedside visits including musical performances and magic shows to suit each young patient’s individual needs.

Cupcake creativity at UCH, thanks to Lola’s
Over at University College Hospital (UCH) in London, PIHW celebrations will continue with a delicious twist. Thanks to our friends at Lola’s Cupcakes, we will host hands-on cupcake decorating sessions, with young patients being able to design and decorate their own treats. These workshops provide a chance for children to express themselves, take a break from the clinical environment, and have some fun during their hospital stay.

Spread a Smile’s Director of Services, Laura Walter, said

“Play in Hospital Week is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the work we do and the values we hold at Spread a Smile – bringing fun, creativity and laughter into hospitals to help ease the clinical environment. Through our additional visits this week, we’ve been able to reach even more children and families, offering moments of joy when they’re needed most.

We’re so grateful to the hospitals and play teams we partner with for their tireless dedication to young patients, and to our supporters, entertainers and partners like Lola’s Cupcakes for helping make this week so special. PIHW 2025 is a powerful reminder of the vital role play continues to have in a child’s care, especially during life’s most challenging times.”

Play in Hospital Week is a powerful celebration of the vital role play has for the wellbeing of children facing long periods in hospital, and we’re grateful to Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Society of Health Play Specialists  (SoHPS) for their essential work in championing it.

Want to stay up to date with all things Spread a Smile? Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter here and receive our latest news directly to your inbox.

 

Spread a smile Comedy Night 2025

Comedy Night Line-up Announced

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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We’re excited to reveal the incredible line-up for this year’s Spread a Smile Comedy Night, returning to The Comedy Store, London on Monday 17 November 2025.

Taking to the stage will be an outstanding roster of talent, including Tom Allen, Rhys James, and Harriet Kemsley, with more brilliant names to be announced soon. The night will once again be hosted and curated by our wonderful Ambassador, Suzi Ruffell, promising an unforgettable evening of laughter – all in support of Spread a Smile.

Now in its sixth year, the Comedy Night is a much-loved highlight in our events calendar and is proudly sponsored by Texel Foundation and Enra.

Tickets are on sale now and all proceeds will help us spread even more smiles to seriously ill children and young people in hospital.

In November 2024 Suzi was joined by the amazing Tom Allen, Nish Kumar, Chantel Nash, Jack Skipper and Ania Magliano for a fantastic evening of laughs, smiles and also magic, thanks to a special appearance from former BGT winner, the military mind reader Richard Jones. So far over £100,000 has been raised through this brilliant event, helping to fund our work spreading smiles in 39 NHS hospitals and 6 hospices across the country.

Buy your tickets here

Event: Spread a Smile Comedy Night
Date: Monday 17 November 2025
Venue: The Comedy Store, 1a Oxendon St, London SW1Y 4EE
Ticket price: £30

Sign up to our monthly e-newsletter to stay up to date with all things Spread a Smile.

 

world smile day spread a smile

Spreading Smiles for World Smile Day

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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As part of our World Smile Day fundraising and awareness initiative, last week was full of so much joy and laughter as we reached our target of spreading over 800 smiles in just one week to seriously ill children, their families, and the healthcare professionals who care for them.

Our entertainers carried out an amazing 21 visits to 14 NHS hospitals, including visits to St George’s Hospital, Tooting, The Christie in Manchester and the Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) at King’s College Hospital.

We organised a bespoke visit for teenage patients at University College Hospital London (UCLH), a pamper day for parents and carers at Evelina Children’s Hospital, a brilliant cupcake decorating session for young patients at St Mary’s Hospital thanks to the amazing Lola’s Cupcakes and were delighted to welcome Pan-n-Ice on our visit to UCLH to deliver some of their delicious ice-cream rolls. Our thanks go to both Lola’s Cupcakes and Pan-n-Ice for their support and also to our wonderful friends from the LEGO Group who joined us at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to provide opportunities for creative play and fun using the iconic LEGO® bricks.

We ended the week with our largest ever visit to GOSH, visiting all inpatients and outpatient wards, and spreading so much fun, magic and laughter to everyone we met.

World Smile Day is a chance for the world to take time to smile and feel the benefits that a smile can bring. Our supporters and friends shared their smiles with us on social media, helping to spread even more smiles around the world and we are so grateful to everyone who helped spread the word and supported our activities across our socials networks.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported World Smile Day 2025 – our incredible partners and all those who donated to ensure we can continue to spread even more smiles in the months to come.

We’re incredibly proud to have celebrated our biggest World Smile Day to date and are looking forward to next year and how we can make this initiative even bigger and better. If you or your company would like to partner with us to help make this happen, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Lucy Chesney, our Head of Partnerships at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org to find out more.

Although World Smile Day has passed, we’ll keep spreading smiles throughout the year and it’s not too late to set up a regular gift to help us deliver our upcoming seasonal activities including our Christmas Smile Hampers, hospital treat drops and our Winter Party.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped us spread a smile for World Smile Day 2025!

Golf Days at Woburn Golf Club success

 780 400 Susie
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Last week, we hosted our hugely successful annual Golf Days, at the prestigious Woburn Golf Club.

Sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors Fund and held over two days, the event welcomed 43 teams for two fantastic days of golf on the beautiful Duke’s Course, ranked in Golf Monthly Magazines top 100 courses in the UK.

With the sun shining on both days, our golfers enjoyed playing the 18-holes – accompanied by entertainment around the course from Spread a Smile musicians and magicians and snacks and drinks delivered by the team – before returning to the club house for a delicious meal followed by prize giving, a raffle and auction.

Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson, spoke to guests about the charity’s work bringing joy to seriously ill children and their families, highlighting how our guests were enabling us to spread even more smiles when they are needed most.

The Spread a Smile Golf Days are a highlight in our events calendar, welcoming companies and individuals to a fun day out. It was fantastic to welcome so many friends old and new, including former England Rugby Union Captain, Dylan Hartley. Thanks to our guests’ generous support, over £87,000 was raised across the events – an incredible amount which will help ensure we can spread many more smiles when they are needed most.

Congratulations to the winning teams – Constellia (Thursday) and Edward Hikmet, Daniel Barlow, Justin Smith and Paul Futcher (Friday). Plus everyone who took home individual prizes.

Thank you to Canary Wharf Contractors Fund for generously sponsoring the event. Also to all of our teams, our volunteers from Blackrock and our event sponsors: Opticore IT, MP Moran, Redstor, Ask Partners, GRE Finance, and Newmark.

Don’t miss out on our next event! Why not join us for our Comedy Night on Monday 17 November at The Comedy Store, London or our entertainer Variety Show at The Camden Club on Thursday 23 October?

Spread a smile entertainer variety show

Entertainer Variety Show on 23 October

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce its second annual Entertainer Variety Show – a very special fundraising event where will showcase the talents of the charity’s amazing entertainers, providing guests with the opportunity to experience first-hand the magic and joy they bring to young patients and their families.

Get your tickets here.

Entertainer Variety Show
Date: Thursday 23 October 2025, 7.30pm
Venue: The Camden Club, 72-73 Chalk Farm Rd, Chalk Farm, London NW1 8AN
Ticket price: £25
Drinks and food available to buy at the venue.

Spread a Smile entertainer and Visit Manager, Sar (also known as Sar with the guitar), has been working closely with the charity’s fundraising team to curate the event saying, “After the incredible success of our first Entertainer Variety Show last year, we’re back – and this time at the cool Camden Club, NW1. Our amazing entertainers are absolutely buzzing to perform again, and I couldn’t be prouder of my friends who are generously giving up their time this evening to help raise funds for the incredible charity, Spread a Smile.

For the past 12 years I’ve had the privilege of being a Spread a Smile entertainer, meeting so many inspiring children and families, as well as collaborating with a truly special group of performers. These experiences have inspired me to create this event where families and friends can experience the magic of Spread a Smile live on stage. The evening will feature a mix of music, magic, and more – with the goal of raising funds and awareness. I hope as many people as possible will join us for what promises to be a very special night.”

All proceeds from the show will go towards raising vital funds for Spread a Smile’s work spreading smiles to the families we support.

Sign up to our newsletter here to be the first to hear about our other upcoming events.