Chertsey

Spread a Smile announces its latest hospital partner, St Peter’s Hospital, a district general hospital in Chertsey, Surrey and part of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH). Originally built to serve casualties of the Second World War, today the hospital cares for people across the surrounding area including Woking, Weybridge, Chertsey, Staines and Walton on Thames. Spread a Smile will be supporting children and young people receiving treatment at the hospital and they, along with their families, are invited to join the Spread a Smile family and benefit from its services.

Spread a Smile’s mission is to bring joy and laughter to as many seriously ill children as possible in NHS hospitals, clinical settings, hospices and homes across the UK. St Peter’s Hospital joins 34 other major and speciality NHS hospitals, and six hospice partners already supported by Spread a Smile, taking the charity one step closer to its aim of spreading smiles to every seriously ill child and young person across the country.

The Spread a Smile team of talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend quality time with patients in hospital through regular in-person visits to the hospital. Every month the team will visit children across paediatric inpatient wards including the Children’s Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCUs), sharing their talents and bringing moments of fun and distractions when they are needed most.

In addition, patients and their families will be able to access weekly virtual group activity sessions, including art clubs, magic, storytelling. Plus, they will be able to join in with special seasonally themed virtual activity days during school holidays and benefit from regular treat drops to the hospital. All of which supports Spread a Smile’s aim of reaching and supporting as many young people as possible, spreading smiles and a lot of happiness to children undergoing treatment for serious illnesses and their families.

Izabela Wakula, Play Specialist at St Peter’s Hospital, said: “So far, we have had two visits from Spread a Smile, and what visits they have been! Fairy Betty makes sure there is something exciting for every patient – maybe their favourite songs to sing and join in with, some tricks and tasks or mesmerising bubbles. Then there’s the magician who makes us all go ‘Wow!’ with his tricks. Musician Rosie can play any song suggested, from nursery rhymes the latest radio hits. Some of our patients could not wait for their turn and were calling out from afar that they wanted to be seen next. 

“There have been lots of giggles, smiles, laughter and singing. Grown-ups have joined in too, with parents singing and staff humming. But most of all, children of all ages have had time and space to have fun and be children again, even though they might have been poorly and in hospital that day. Thank you, Spread a Smile team for bringing a little magic to our hospital.” 

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile is proud to be working in partnership with ASPH to support the brilliant team at St Peter’s Hospital. Together we’ll be spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment at the hospital, providing distraction and much needed moments of engagement and fun. We are looking forward to our visits and what lies ahead.”