Downing

On Thursday 23 July, Spread a Smile hosted its annual Summer Party at Coram’s Fields in London, welcoming over 840 seriously ill children and their family members for an incredible day filled with fun, entertainment and laughter.

Generously sponsored this year by our friends from BC Partners and Downing LLP, the Summer Party is the highlight in our family events calendar and the chance for hundreds of the families we support to come together for a fantastic day out, creating precious memories together.

“My children absolutely loved every minute of it and had the biggest smiles on their faces all day. It’s given them some wonderful memories that they’ll be taking about for a long time. Dad

For the second year running, the celebrations were split across two sessions – a morning party sponsored by Downing LLP and an afternoon party sponsored by BC Partners – enabling us to welcome even more of the families we support.

We were delighted to welcome more than 145 volunteers from our corporate partners, who generously gave their time to help run a wide range of activities, including a gaming bus, arts and crafts, face painting, glitter tattoos, slime making, plant pot decorating and much more. A special sensory area helped ensure that guests could find a quieter space to relax, engage and enjoy the fun.

Once again, our friends at Hasbro brought the fun with a brilliant range of interactive games and activities, along with hundreds of gifts for the children to take home. The LEGO Group inspired creativity with a huge table packed with LEGO for children to build their own imaginative creations, while Mildreds kept everyone smiling with an ice cream van serving delicious frozen treats throughout the day. Families also enjoyed beautiful cakes from Lola’s Cupcakes and freshly made sushi rolls from SushiDog, ensuring there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Spread a Smile’s incredible team of entertainers did what they do best and filled the day with music, magic, singing, dancing, bubbles, poetry and so much more, with families having the chance to meet and catch up with some of their favourite entertainers outside of the hospital wards. A highlight, as always, was a visit from our therapy dogs Thomas (with owner, Olivia) and Cobi (with owner, Howard).

“Thank you SO much for another wonderful summer party. Freddie had such a great time. He doesn’t get to go to many parties, so it’s such a special event for us and wonderful to see him enjoying himself with all the activities and entertainment.” Mum

This very special day simply wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors, volunteers and partners. A huge thank you to our friends from BC Partners and Downing LLP for sponsoring the event and all our wonderful volunteers for giving up their time. Also, to LMG for sponsoring one of our activity tables.

Thank you to Hasbro, the LEGO Group, Mildreds, Lola’s Cupcakes and Sushi Dog for their generosity, enthusiasm and continued support. From fun activities and creative play to delicious treats, they helped make the day so special. We are incredibly proud to partner with these much-loved brands, whose commitment and generosity continue to make a real difference to the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

And to the brilliant companies and supporters who gave supplies, gifts, food and drink to help us provide the best experience possible: Crayola, Gaming Party Bus, Slime Planet, Swizzels and Scrapples.

“We’re so grateful for all the hard work, time and care that went into organising such a fantastic day. Your kindness and generosity really do make a difference to families like ours. Thank you again to everyone involved.” Dad

Last but no means least, our heartfelt thanks go to all the incredible children, young people and families who joined us. It was a joy and a privilege to spend the day together, celebrating, laughing and making special memories. Every day, you inspire us with your courage, resilience and positivity in the face of unimaginable challenges. Thank you for making this year’s Summer Party so incredibly special.

To help ensure we can continue to spread smiles to seriously ill children and young people, please donate here.
We’d also love to hear from you if your company is able to support our Summer Party next year through sponsorship or gifting opportunities. Please email our Partnerships Manager, Rosie Perkins at rosie@spreadasmile.org to get the ball rolling. Thank you.