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IAN JONES MARATHON MAN

Running and exercise fanatic Ian Jones has decided to run not one but two marathons this year and all in aid of Spread a Smile. These marathons will be Ian’s ninth and tenth marathons, so he is certainly no stranger to pounding the pavements, and we at Spread a Smile believe that as a result of these incredible efforts, we can happily call him our very own ‘Marathon Man!’

The marathons which Ian has chosen to run in this year are the New Forest Marathon on 9th September followed swiftly by the Frankfurt Marathon on 28th October.

Ian said, “In running for Spread a Smile, all contributions will go to an organisation filled with incredibly kind and selfless individuals dedicated to bringinghappiness, laughs and smiles to children facing the most difficult and uncertain of circumstances. As soon as I heard about the charity’s story and objectives, I couldn’t have thought of a better cause. ”

Ian has a punishing training regime, running 18 kilometres at a time, up to three times a week, plus he puts himself through an hour long track session twice a week, with the aim of increasing his speed each time. As if that was not enough, Ian also runs in a Park Run every Saturday, followed by a slow long run on a Sunday.

By his own admission, Ian is super competitive, especially with eight previous marathons under his belt, together with one Iron Man and 2 half Iron Man achievements to add to his medal collection too. Thankfully with Ian’s love of fitness and the outdoors, it doesn’t look as though he will be slowing down anytime soon!

We at Spread a Smile wish Ian so much luck and good health for his forthcoming endeavours and we are so grateful for all that he will raise for Spread a Smile. You can sponsor him here

Recently we welcomed solicitor Mark Summerfield and his dog, Donny, a 7 year old cavalier King Charles spaniel, to the Spread a Smile team. We caught up with Mark to ask him about Donny and what motivated him to start visiting the hospitals with his dog.

“I have known Josephine, one of the charity’s founders, for some time. I knew about Oscar and Cassie, Spread a Smile’s other Pet Therapy dogs and the great work they were doing in hospitals, and I suggested that Donny and I join the team.

“We had to go through the Pets as Therapy (PAT) training before we were able to visit the hospitals but I found the whole process relatively painless. Donny passed with flying colours. Even they thought he was a great candidate for PAT work.

“I thought Donny would be a great dog to visit children in hospital. He is so placid and particularly good with kids.  He is so affectionate and kids love to hear about how he lost the sight in one of his eyes. (It happened when he was one, after being hit by a van.  He was staying with some friends of ours and got homesick and ran home when he was hit.  He was in a coma for a few days but came round). He is also a bit deaf, actually a lot deaf, and is generally quirky.”

Mark and Donny made their first visit to University College Hospital in December 2017. Mark says he was a bit cautious at first but fine and “relaxed when I saw Donny triggering smiles from everyone he met. Before taking Donny in for the first time, I’d joined a visit with Carolyn and her dog Oscar, so I knew what to expect.

“I was really looking forward to the first visit and Donny was really great.  He sat on the beds of many of the kids and teenagers and made himself at home.  He enjoyed the attention.  I was very impressed with him.

“I am really looking forward to my next visit and I would do lots more if I didn’t have a day job to go to”.

Fantastically caring sisters, Emma and Millie, have been growing their long Rapunzel-like, blonde locks for a very special reason. Emma and Millie are aunties to their wonderful, two year old niece Alice, who is undergoing extensive treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Bilateral Retinoblastoma, a rare but aggressive form of eye cancer which affects babies and very young children.

Feeling as though they had to help in any way that they could, Emma and Millie have decided to raise money for Spread a Smile and the Rainbow Trust, by creating a wig for The Little Princess Trust, by having a super haircut and then donating their luscious locks to create a wig for a child undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments which result in hair loss. The big haircut is taking place this Saturday, 20th January 2018.

The knotting process at the top of the wig alone takes 4 inches in length, so the super sisters are aiming to donate at least 12 inches each, to provide a very brave little person somewhere with some hair and hopefully make their day a little brighter.

Emma and Millie said “We are very grateful to the Rainbow Trust and Spread a Smile as they continue to support Alice (and the whole family) through her journey.”

Wonderfully strong, little Alice has been entertained by Spread a Smile many times at Great Ormond Street Hospital and she is particularly fond of Cassie, Spread a Smile’s Pet Therapy dog. Cassie always manages to create a smile on any little person’s face!

Alice has also managed to go to several Spread a Smile theatre trips, the most recent being the trip to see The Gruffalo’s Child, before Christmas 2017. In fact, Alice’s big sister Mia even went up on stage after the show to meet the cast. Being brave clearly runs in this very special family!

Spread a Smile’s Caroline Lisberg, said “It is our privilege to entertain children like Alice and if we can just make their day a little brighter whether it be in the hospitals or send a family on a theatre trip to enjoy themselves then we’ve achieved something great!”

We wish both Emma and Millie so much love and luck and are so grateful for their incredible hair raising efforts and outstanding amounts of fundraising for Spread a Smile.

A big thank you to the entire cast of Annie the Musical, who have made this gorgeous film, with exclusive backstage footage of the cast, to raise funds and awareness for Spread a Smile this Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZMStojJ00&feature=youtu.be

You can donate to Spread a Smile via their Just Giving page.

Sophie Ayers and Katie Wasrsup, who make up part of the very talented Annie ensemble, said “Our team at Annie the Musical are touched by Spread a Smile as it is very close to our hearts. We  believe entertainment can brighten up even the darkest of days. We have created a little video of life backstage at Annie the Musical this Christmas in loving memory of Vanessa and to raise funds for this very worthwhile cause”.

Miranda Hart, who played Miss Hannigan in the production, features in the Christmas film. She said “We would be so grateful if you could donate to Spread a Smile. It’s an amazing charity that provides entertainment for terminally ill young people in hospital so it couldn’t be more important, particularly at this time of year.”

Spread a Smile co-founders, Josephine and Vanessa said “We are so touched and grateful to the entire team at Annie the Musical for choosing to raise funds for us this Christmas. The video is just lovely and the entire cast are of course very aware of the difference entertainment can make to a young child undergoing hospital treatment. Thank you so much to the entire cast for their support.”

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.

Annie is playing at The Piccadilly Theatre until February 18th.

On Tuesday 12th December, children from years 3-6 at Kerem School, in Norrice Lea, Hampstead Garden Suburb, took part in a Chanukah event for children’s charity Spread a Smile. The children wrapped and decorated 200 presents, which had been generously donated by parents from Kerem School and the PTA. All the gifts will be distributed by to seriously ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College Hospital, The Royal London Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital by the Spread a Smile team during the holiday season.

Kerem Head Teacher, Alyson Burns, said “I am so proud of the children at Kerem. It is such a lovely thing to do for such a worthwhile charity.”

Libby Mahalla, Kerem School PTA Chair, said “Kerem children were so excited to be taking part in wrapping and decorating gifts for the holidays, for children in hospital. The pride they felt being able to be a part of something so special for Spread a Smile has only helped to enhance their Chanukah experience.”

Kerem pupil, Sophia Bloom, said: “I really enjoyed wrapping the presents. It felt really good to do something so good for such an important charity.”

Josephine Segal and Vanessa Crocker, Spread a Smile co-founders, said “It is always so heart-warming to see kids helping other kids – and the support we’ve received from Kerem school is a brilliant example of that. We are so looking forward to seeing the smiles on the faces of the young patients when we deliver the gifts in hospital.”

Spread a Smile is a children’s charity who brighten the days of seriously ill children and teenagers in hospital by taking teams of entertainers into paediatric and adolescent wards. They take magicians, musicians, fairies, poets, singers, face painters, artists and two Pet Therapy dogs into Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College Hospital, The Royal London Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital, to bring much needed joy, light and laughter to courageous children and teenagers.

Those suffering from conditions such as cancer, heart and kidney related illnesses are often confined to hospital for prolonged periods. Spread a Smile entertainers provide a diversion from the boredom and monotony and help young patients to brave their treatment.

For more info contact Lucy Jackson 07931 362729  lucyjackson@spreadasmile.org

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Our fabulous corporate supporters, timber and building merchants, Lawsons, hosted a Black & White Ball on Saturday 18^th November in aid of Spread a Smile.

The glamorous event took place at the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor and nearly 400 guests attended. The evening included a dinner, and a silent auction, followed by dancing, all to raise money to enable us to entertain more seriously ill children and teenagers in hospital.

The silent auction featured some exciting lots and had something to suit everyone’s taste. Football aficionados were interested in the various soccer-related goodies, including a stadium seat from former Tottenham home White Hart Lane! There was a chance to bid on a cycling experience at the Olympic Velodrome. Those in need of a break were tempted by holidays in the South of France and Bali. There were several fantastic foodie auction lots for the gastronomes at the party, as well as exciting opportunities to drive supercars, try a Top Gun flying experience and be treated like a VIP at the BRIT Awards Ceremony, to name just a few of the lots on offer. Thank you to those who bid!

Spread a Smile co-founders Josephine Segal and Vanessa Crocker spoke on the night about the charity’s work and the impact Lawsons support has made to us over the last few years. They said: “Lawsons have made such a difference to our burgeoning charity. Whether it is raising money by climbing Mount Snowdon, cycling from London to Brighton, organising coffee and cake mornings or running half marathons as well as organising special events for our patients including a meet and greet with Watford football team, tickets for Tottenham Hotspur or rugby tickets. The list is endless and the support is quite outstanding. We are completely indebted to Lawsons for their support.

“The whole team at Lawsons have enabled us to put smiles on the faces of so many wonderful young people.”

Words of thanks are not really enough to express our gratitude, but we would like to say a big thank you to Lawsons for organising such a wonderful event in aid of Spread a Smile, with particular thanks to John and Gillian Lawson, their son Simon, and Managing Director Paul Sexton. We were overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity on the evening and grateful for all the warm words of support and encouragement.

On Saturday 18^th November, Highgate Golf Club held their annual charity concert in aid of Spread a Smile alongside two other charities: The Harington Scheme and The Wigmore Hall Trust. The concert, the 17^th one organised by George Meyer, featured internationally acclaimed violinist Jack Liebeck.

Jack is a renowned soloist and chamber musician and has performed with all the major British orchestras. As well as being a technical master of the violin, he is a dedicated educator, holding a professorship at the Royal Academy of Music.

A dinner followed the wonderful programme of music, during which a raffle and auction were held to raise funds for the three chosen charities. John Plews, Artistic Director of the Highgate theatre ‘Upstairs at the Gatehouse’, acted as auctioneer on the night. Auction items included tickets for the Holland Park Opera, a week’s holiday at a nine-bedroom chalet in Meribel, Grandstand tickets for the England v Pakistan Test Match at Lord’s, a two-week break at a luxurious lodge in Grenada, a meal for six guests at Peruvian restaurant Coya, a night at the country retreat Sopwell House in Hertfordshire, and a Porsche driving experience at Silverstone.

Spread a Smile’s Lucy Jackson spoke to the 120-strong audience about the charity’s work entertaining seriously ill children and teenagers in hospital, and particularly about a little girl we visited, Vanessa, who had been featured as part of BBC Children in Need’s Appeal Show the evening before. Nine-year-old Vanessa tragically passed away in September after living with cancer for over half her life. Vanessa loved music, so when we visited her during her treatment for the rare form of cancer, Neuroblastoma, at GOSH, we took in singers and musicians to alleviate the boredom and monotony of hospital and take her mind off her treatment.

We are very grateful to Highgate Golf Club for their support of Spread a Smile. Ladies’ Captain Amanda Salmon chose us as the Captain’s Charity for the Golf Club this year and the club has raised money for the charity through a number of other avenues: Ladies’ Wine and Dine evenings on Tuesdays from May to September; a special golf day event on 15^th September, organised by Peter Levinger; a raffle organised by Amanda Salmon; and a donations bottle on the bar. We would like to say an enormous thank you to George Meyer for putting on this fabulous event and for supporting Spread a Smile.