Posts Tagged :

fundraising

Inaugural Insurance Dinner spreads smiles

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Last week, we held our inaugural Spread a Smile Insurance dinner, bringing together leading professionals from across the insurance sector for an enjoyable and engaging evening of networking.

Held at the beautiful Ham Yard Hotel in Soho, London, guests enjoyed time to catch-up over drinks and canapes before sitting down for a delicious meal together.

The evening was an opportunity to share more about the work of Spread a Smile, with our Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson, speaking about the work of the charity and the important and unique role our corporate supporters play in helping to spread smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

Spread a Smile entertainer and magician, Sacha, was also on hand to showcase our work, sharing magic with guests and an insight into how our entertainers bring joy to all those they meet.

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive at Spread a Smile, said “We are extremely grateful to everyone who joined us for our first Insurance Dinner and generously supported our work on the night. Particular thanks go to Richard Reggel and Phil Smaje for all their hard work making this wonderful event possible and enabling us to meet and connect with so many new people.”

The Insurance Committee was launched in September 2025 to explore new avenues for raising funds and awareness. To find out more about the Committee or how your company could get involved with supporting Spread a Smile, please get in touch with our Head of Partnerships, Lucy Chesney at lucychesney@spreadasmile.org.

Corporate fundraising golf day

Canary Wharf Contractors Fund Golf Day

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A highly anticipated event in the Spread a Smile calendar, the Canary Wharf Contractors Golf Day took place on Friday 20 June at the prestigious London Golf Club.

The tournament successfully brought together 200 golfers, including notable personalities such as former England football players Ray Parlour, Jamie O’Hara, and Neil Ruddock.

In true Spread a Smile style, our team were there to join in the fun, and the event featured a touch of magic, with our professional magicians entertaining players across the course. Their impressive tricks and illusions not only provided entertainment throughout the tournament but also offered attendees a direct insight into the unique service the charity provides for children in hospitals. These magical moments underscore the joy and distraction Spread a Smile aims to bring to seriously ill children facing challenging hospital stays.

The day culminated in a raffle and live auction, expertly hosted by presenter Pete Graves and we’re extremely grateful to everyone who joined in on the day for helping to raise vital funds to spread joy and laughter to seriously ill children in hospital.

Our thanks to Alec, Dan, and the entire team at Canary Wharf Contractors Fund for their brilliant support and for inviting us to be part of this special event.

Feeling inspired? Find out more about taking part in the Spread a Smile Golf Days, sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors Fund on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September 2025.

Football with LMAC Group

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On a glorious day of sunshine, smiles, and sporting spirit, Spread a Smile was thrilled to join LMAC Group’s annual Football Day, a highlight in our summer calendar and a wonderful show of generosity and community.

This year’s much-anticipated 6-a-side tournament brought together 11 teams, all competing in good spirits and high energy for the top spot and congratulations to TW1 Boxing, who emerged victorious.

Beyond the football, the day was full of entertainment and joy, with Spread a Smile’s Tasha and Rimi joining in the fun, and magician Richard Jones added a sprinkle of magic for guests. The atmosphere was further lifted by the brilliant DJ Tony Nicholls, who kept the tunes flowing and spirits high.

Events like go a long way to help fund our hospital visits and entertainment services, helping to brighten some of the toughest days for those we support. A heartfelt thanks to Lee McDowell and our friends from LMAC Group for their brilliant and continued support. Plus, to everyone who joined on the day and took part in the raffle and auction, helping to raise vital funds to spread more smiles to seriously ill children and their families.

Want to Get Involved?
We’d love for you to be part of more events like this! Whether you’re interested in fundraising, volunteering, or attending a future event, there are so many ways to help us spread more smiles when they are needed most.

👉 Find out more about upcoming Spread a Smile events here.

The Wandering Barber’s rickshaw challenge

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At the end of November, David Jamali aka ‘The Wandering Barber’ took on an incredible fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile and HoH Charitable Trust (Hand on Heart), travelling 3000km across India in a rickshaw.

David raised over £4,000 in the process saying, “This journey is not just about the adventure; it’s about making a difference. I am raising funds for two remarkable charities which are close to my heart, and I have had the privilege of supporting them through my work as a barber.

“Spread a Smile do incredible work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and their families during some of their darkest times. They organise visits from entertainers, therapy dogs, and even magicians to hospitals and hospices, creating precious moments of happiness. I have had the honour of cutting hair for terminally ill children, witnessing firsthand the positive impact of Spread a Smile’s efforts.”

As a charity that relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to carry out its work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people, everyone at Spread a Smile is extremely grateful to David for his efforts and support.

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive said, “David really has gone that extra mile through his fundraising efforts, taking on a brilliant and inspiring challenge. We can’t thank him enough for his support.”

If you would like to find out more about taking on a fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile, please email the team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org or visit our fundraising pages here.

Royal Parks Half Marathon success

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We are so proud of every single runner who joined Team Smile for the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London yesterday!

With 81 runners taking on the beautiful 13.1-mile course around four of London’s eight Royal Parks, it was our largest team of runners to date and the Spread a Smile team loved being there to cheer everyone on.

Our team included some of our amazing supporters and fundraisers, our very own Community Fundraising Manager, Tasha Mann, teams from the Corinthia Hotel, Mildreds and BC Partners and friends from KSEYE, Bregal Investments, Redstor, Menspire, McVities, Hilco and Downing LLP. Plus we were proud to welcome, Andy, Dad to Emmie, who we have supported for a number of years.

“It was such a pleasure to take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon and I was so happy to support the brilliant charity, Spread a Smile. Seeing their cheerleaders around the course really helped and it was such a wonderful atmosphere, doing something positive for a great cause.” Rosie Nixon (pictured on the left with Jane Mulkerrins, right).

Our Co-founders Josephine Segal and Vanessa Crocker along with Chief Executive Lucy Jackson were there on the day along with the Spread a Smile team to motivate our runners.

Thanks to the incredible support and efforts of our amazing fundraisers, over £50,000 has been raised to support our vital work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people in hospital.

A huge thank you to all of our runners. We salute you! Also to The Gloucester pub in Knightsbridge for hosting our team so beautifully after the event.

Please email Rimi at rimi@spreadasmile.org to join Team Smile for one of our fundraising challenges, including the 5k Santa in the City in December or London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday 6 April 2025.

Restaurant partners making the difference

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Just like many charities across the UK, Spread a Smile is fortunate to receive support from some wonderful restaurant and hospitality partners through events and fundraising – both of which go a long way helping us achieve our aims of being there for families with seriously ill children when they need us most.

We have been working in partnership with the Riding House Café group since January 2022, with their three restaurants generously hosting numerous events and tea parties for children and families supported by Spread a Smile. These events provide wonderful opportunities for families with seriously ill children to do something fun together and have a huge impact on wellbeing and positivity for the whole family.

Mildreds restaurants also host a monthly afternoon tea, providing a chance for our families to relax and enjoy themselves, with Spread a Smile’s entertainers on hand to join in the fun with music, magic, arts & crafts and face painting.

These events enable us to support families in a very important way, providing enjoyable days out during a very difficult time and we are so grateful to our brilliant friends at the Riding House Café group and Mildreds Restaurants for giving up their venues, time and resources to give something back.

And the support doesn’t end there. Many restaurants across the UK are also helping to raise significant amounts for different charities simply by adding a small discretionary donation to a menu item or the total bill. It is a hugely effective fundraising mechanism, providing an easy way for diners to give to charity.

Since 2022, the Riding House Group, has raised an incredible £55,223 for Spread a Smile by adding 25p to customers’ final dining bills (customers can opt out).  This is a huge amount which has helped Spread a Smile support over 1,830 seriously ill children and their families, through entertainment in hospital and virtually.

Similarly, both Mildreds restaurants and Brigit’s Bakery have supported Spread a Smile for World Smile Day, with Mildreds adding £1 to customer bills and raising around £8k in 2023 and Brigit’s Bakery regularly donating a % of all sales from bookings.

Spread a Smile has also been an incredibly grateful recipient of donations from the Flat Iron Fund. Guests at Flat Iron restaurants are invited to make an optional donation of 10 pence to the Flat Iron Fund, for every meal that they enjoy. The donation is matched by Flat Iron and 100% of the proceeds are then distributed to charities. In 2018, after raising £1m for Macmillan Cancer Support, the Flat Iron Fund was set up as an independent registered charity. Since then, the Fund has extended its support to many more charities, including Spread a Smile.

While there isn’t a single figure representing the total amount raised by all UK restaurants annually, this example shows how the approach can effectively generate substantial funds for charitable causes. Plus, the method aligns the restaurant’s financial success with charitable giving, creating a win-win scenario for both the business and the charity.

Lucy Jackson, Chief Executive of Spread a Smile on the impact of this fundraising tactic for the charity, said; “This simple act creates significant impact, allowing us to raise crucial funds that directly contribute to the important work that we undertake. What’s particularly powerful about this initiative is how seamlessly it can complement other corporate social responsibility efforts undertaken by restaurants, creating a meaningful partnership that not only supports a worthy cause but also deepens community engagement, increases awareness of our work and enhances customer goodwill.”

Jane Moore from Riding House Café said: “We are proud to partner with Spread a Smile.  As well as utilising our space to host events, we are fully committed to continue to raising funds and our fundraising efforts, whilst seemingly simple, are hugely impactful and go a long way to supporting the vital work they do.  

“We can help make a real difference in the lives of those in need while fostering a sense of community among our customers and staff. We believe it’s important for the wider restaurant industry to embrace similar practices. Collectively, we have the power to create substantial and lasting change across the charity sector in the UK, demonstrating that small actions can lead to big impact.”

Our aim is to be there for every child and young person that needs us, bringing joy and laughter during one of the darkest times of their lives.  So we welcome any restaurants or hospitality venues that would like to find out more about joining the Spread a Smile family and supporting our work. Please do reach out to our Partnerships Manager Lucy Keith by email at lucykeith@spreadasmile.org or on 020 7482 5191.

Fundraisers from Once in a Lifetime Holidays raising vital funds to help spread smiles to seriously ill children.

Fundraising to support children like Isaac

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We’re so grateful to every one of our fundraisers who do so much to help raise funds to ensure we can continue spreading smiles to the families we support.

Recently Once in a Lifetime Holidays chose to fundraise to help spread smiles through a challenge packed tour of Europe, with a little boy called Isaac as their motivation, raising £1,355 so far.

“In June 2020 Isaac aged 3 was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. He spent many months during COVID in Great Ormond Street Hospital with only one of his parents allowed to be present. The two of them were isolated from the outside world, facing the most terrifying ordeal. Isaac underwent operations, chemotherapy and stem cell therapy and his care was excellent, however it was the team at Spread a Smile that really brought a smile to his gorgeous face at the most awful time.

“Isaac is the most amazing young boy, and his mum is nothing short of a superhero and we wanted to raise money to help other children and families smile during these very difficult times.

“So, the Team at Once in a Lifetime Holidays along with several other colleagues from the travel industry decided to take on a tour of Europe, undertaking challenges and events enroute to raise as much money as possible for Spread a Smile.

“Seeing Isaac smile is a gift, and we hope to help Spread a Smile spread even more smiles to seriously ill children and their families as well.”

Thank you to everyone at Once in a Lifetime Holidays and their colleagues for supporting Spread a Smile and children like Isaac. We couldn’t do what we do without you.

If you have a fundraising idea and would like to help spread smiles, please email Tasha at tasha@spreadasmile.org – we’re here for you every step of the way. Or visit our Support Us pages for inspiration.

Announcing our new Family Fun Day

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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce its newest fundraising event, our first ever Family Fun Day, generously supported by Sharesy and in collaboration with Non-Stop Action.

To be held on Saturday 28 September at Holly Park Primary School, London N11, the Family Fun Day is a day for our supporters and their families to enjoy, packed full of family-friendly activities, exciting games, and amazing entertainment, all while raising funds to support Spread a Smile.

Our guests will take on the challenge of completing different activity stations, working together as a team to win certificates and prizes. There will also be the chance to meet and see Spread a Smile’s amazing entertainers in action, with magic, music, arts and crafts, face-painting and more.

This fun-filled day out is a great opportunity for our friends and supporters to experience first-hand the joy and laughter Spread a Smile brings to families across the country, helping to raise vital funds to support seriously ill children and their families when they need us most.

A family ticket costs just £25 and you can register for the Family Fun Day here!

The event is generously sponsored by our friends at Sharesy. Felix Atkins, Founder, CEO at Sharesy shared with us his motivation for supporting the Family Fun Day “In March 2021, my son was diagnosed with an auto-inflammatory disease, my priorities and focus shifted in ways I could never have imagined. My wife, Vicki, and I spent the next six weeks in a small hospital room with our little boy, swapping every three days to spend time with our daughter at home. It was every parent’s nightmare. 

“Fortunately, the team at Great Ormond Street Hospital were amazing. We were also supported by the amazing team at Spread a Smile. This wonderful charity brings joy and laughter to seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families during long hospital stays. 

“Coincidentally, we discovered that we shared the same co-working office as Spread a Smile in Highbury. We have since moved to a new location near Archway and whilst we miss the wonderful team at Spread a Smile, we take every opportunity to help them with fundraising or preparing gifts for the children they support. 

“My son’s diagnosis was undoubtedly life-changing, but it also showed me how strong we can be when we come together during difficult times. It certainly puts the stresses of running a start up into perspective and we are delighted to be able to support the Spread Smile Family Fun Day and help spread smiles to even more children and young people when they need it most.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the sponsorship opportunities for this event, please contact our Community Fundraising Manager, Tasha Mann at tashamann@spreadasmile.org or sign up to our enews to stay up to date.

With thanks to Sharesy for their support:

5-a-side Football Tournament success

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Last Thursday saw Spread a Smile’s fifth annual 5-a-side Football Tournament take place, this time at Powerleague Shepherd’s Bush.

The sun was shining and we were delighted to welcome our teams for a competitive day of football and fun, with Spread a Smile magician Gary on hand to help keep everyone entertained in between games.

The tournament was closely fought, with Corinthia London emerging victorious and winning the cup, with Enra Specialist Finance coming a close second. Also congratulations to BN McVitie’s who won the plate.

Imogen Slazenger, Spread a Smile’s Head of Fundraising attended on the day saying, “It was a pleasure to welcome so many supporters and new friends for this brilliant event. A huge thank you to all everyone who joined us for their energy, enthusiasm and commitment helping to raise thousands of pounds to support our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and their families when they’re needed most. We hope to see you back next year!”

Please get in touch with Alicia by emailing alicia@spreadasmile.org to find out more about next year’s football tournament or how you can support one of our other events.

Canary Wharf Contractors Fund Golf Day

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Earlier this month on a beautiful Summer’s Day, our friends at Canary Wharf Contractors Fund held their hugely popular charity Golf Day at London Golf Club.

The event is held every year to raise funds for their charity partners and Spread a Smile was honoured to be amongst them, with the charity’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson and Head of Fundraising, Imogen Slazenger attending on the day.

Welcoming almost 200 golfers to play on the renowned Jack Nicklaus designed championship course, the event was one to remember, with two of our brilliant magicians also joining in the fun with magic, tricks and fun for guests.

Lucy Jackson said, “We are so grateful to everyone at Canary Wharf Contractors Fund for their ongoing belief in and support of our work, helping to spread smiles to seriously ill children and young people across the country. Thank you to all those involved including everyone who played, bid on the silent auction, donated on the day and helped raise much needed funds for Spread a Smile and the other worthy causes.”

Please do get in touch with our Head of Fundraising, Imogen by emailing imogen@spreadasmile.org if you would like to chat about supporting Spread a Smile through a (fundraising) event.