News

We are thrilled to launch an exciting new partnership with the amazing House Cafe Company and who better to help us mark the occasion but some of the children and young people we support and their families.

Everyone enjoyed a very special afternoon tea at The Riding House Cafe, Fitzrovia with an entirely sweet menu of favourite desserts including red velvet cake, ice-cream sundaes, malted deep dish pancakes with a host of delicious toppings and hot cinnamon doughnuts with chocolate dip Magic and art activities were provided by our entertainers, Paul, Ian and Judge and fun tattoos by our Head of Art, Marina.

With thanks to the team at The House Cafe Company for their fabulous hospitality. We look forward to working with you all.

Watch out for more news and activities at The Riding House Cafe, Fitzrovia and The Rail House Cafe, Victoria in the year ahead.

If you would like to find out more about working in partnership with us and spreading smiles please contact fundraising@spreadasmile.org

There was such an overflowing amount of sweet and savoury treats, special teas and super celebrations during October, where incredible people switched on the kettle and hosted their fundraiser on behalf of Spread a Smile. We’ve had an array of photos, videos and donations from tea parties that took place in hospitals, schools, community groups and people’s homes and gardens. We held some fabulous virtual baking classes for children and their siblings during half term week and after school clubs. To end the Tea Party month with a bang, we thought there would be no better way than spreading some smiles with a tea party outing for some of the courageous children and their families who are receiving treatment under NHS care. Our partner Brigit’s Bakery helped us deliver an afternoon of tea, cakes and entertainment on their Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus. 

Thank you to everyone who hosted, volunteered or went to a party on behalf of Spread a Smile. Your time and donations will enable us to deliver more fun outings and entertainment activities like this. This includes celebrities Angela Griffin, Nicola Stephenson and Lisa Faulkner and their families who held a Smile Tea Party at Angela’s home to fundraise for Spread a Smile.

We will be sending out prizes this week to the winners of our free prize draw who won a Hatter’s Tea for Two at the 5-star boutique Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge and an Alice in Wonderland Gift Set by artist, Ali Miller.

We loved seeing your photos and hope you all enjoyed your yummy tea.

We also want to thank all the Tea Party partners for this event who made it extra super.

Brigit’s Bakery, Honey and Co, Ali Miller London, Claridges, The Langham London, Rubens Hotel, Lolas Cupcakes and The Egerton House Hotel.

Yesterday Spread a Smile and Brigit’s Bakery served up tea and smiles for 30 children and their families at a very special tea party aboard the Peppa Pig bus. 

The children enjoyed delicious sandwiches and homemade cakes courtesy of the popular London bakery and entertainment from our entertainers, Mr Magic and Fairy Ellie.  It was an afternoon full of smiles and away from hospitals and treatments.  And topping the vote for the best sweet treat?  The chocolate cake of course!

The children who attended are all receiving treatment for cancer and many of them have not had the opportunity to have much fun recently. The families all expressed how safe they felt at the event, and it was such a special treat to be able to leave the hospital and forget about their gruelling treatment for a few hours. The highlight was being driven back to the hospital on the bus – the kids were buzzing for hours afterwards!

With thanks to the team at Brigit’s Bakery for their fabulous support of our Smile Tea Party campaign.

Feedback about the tea party below:

“Credit to Brigit’s Bakery and Spread a Smile. Helping to create fun and precious memories to cherish forever. We had an amazing time, thank you so much.”

“It was a really fun day and nice to see new friends outside of the hospital. She had such a great time, the magician was amazing! And the cakes!!! And we keep reusing our beautiful Brigit’s Bakery cups.”

Congratulations to Joanna Oldbridge and her soul mates who completed a spooktacular 26 miles (42 km) Halloween Walk on Saturday.

Joanna chose to fundraise for Spread a Smile after her friend Martin, a magician for the charity, talked so passionately about the difference our services made to children in hospital and she wanted to help. 

Joanna said; “The event was fabulous. I walked with my team “Solemates”, which includes my oldest friend of 50 years, Marianne Edwards, my sister, Deborah Beresford-Moore and our friend Jane Griffin. We’ve walked several challenges together over the years – the weather was amazing for this one and we all had fun dressing up!”.

If you fancy taking on the 2022 Halloween Walk check out the Ultra Challenger calendar in our link here.  Spread a Smile will pay for 50% of your entry fee.

This week, over half term, we’ve been entertaining children in hospital and at home with a variety of Halloween-themed activities.

Every day we’ve hosted a different virtual entertainer session including ghostly art workshops, spooky storytelling, TikTok dance tutorials, festive makeup workshop and the pumpkin patch challenge. 

Our 24/7 entertainment channel, Smile TV, featured a host of art & craft activities including pumpkin drawing and origami ghost making plus Mr Magic mesmerised us all with card tricks, bottle magic and some hysterical Halloween howlers.

We also delivered Halloween treat packs containing glow sticks, games, treats and the all-important pots of slime to children across all our NHS hospital partners.  

“The Spread a Smile Halloween packs put smiles on so many children’s faces at the hospital. They were tailored perfectly to suit a range of ages. When the word slime was mentioned, the patients’ faces lit up.” Jamie-Lee Phillipson, Hospital Play Lead at Nottingham Children’s Hospital

To watch our entertainers in action go to the SMILE TV here. 

On 20 October 2021 we were thrilled to invite ten children and their families to the Lyceum Theatre for a performance of The Lion King.  The visit also included a pre show reception in the Disney Ambassador Lounge where everyone enjoyed Spread a Smile’s hospitality and meeting our entertainers Magic Paul, Mr Magic, Fairy Ellie and Fairy Jasmin plus a very special video message from The Lion King cast. With thanks to Disney, ICAP, Lola’s and all the team and cast at The Lion King for their ongoing support and for making the outing so special for all our families.  

See here a wonderful collection of images from the brilliant outing.