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golf

Golf Days 2026

Teeing off with our Golf Days 2026

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Earlier this week we hosted our hugely successful annual Golf Days, at a new venue – The Shire, London.

Sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors Fund and held over two days, the event welcomed 34 teams for two fantastic days of golf on the only UK course designed by the late Spanish golfing legend, Seve Ballesteros.

With the sun (mostly) shining on both days, our golfers enjoyed playing the 18-holes – accompanied by entertainment around the course from Spread a Smile musicians, artists and magicians, including our Ambassador, Richard Jones.

Keen golfer and member of the under-12 county golf set up, 8 year old Hudson joined us along with Dad Laurie, for a special ‘beat the pro’ opportunity. Teams also enjoyed snacks and drinks delivered by golf buggy, before returning to the club house for a delicious lunch followed by prize giving, a raffle and auction.

Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson, spoke to guests about the charity’s work bringing joy to seriously ill children and their families, sharing just how important their support is  On Tuesday, Sam Anstey, Managing Director of Mildreds Restaurant Group, spoke to guests about how Spread a Smile supported his daughter Ari and the wider family whilst Ari was seriously ill. We are so grateful to Sam for sharing his family’s journey with us so openly and it was a very poignant moment for everyone in the room.

The Spread a Smile Golf Days are a highlight in our events calendar, welcoming companies and individuals to a fun day out. It was fantastic to welcome so many friends old and new and we can’t thank everyone enough for helping to raise thousands of pounds to help ensure we can spread many more smiles to seriously ill children and their families when they are needed most.

A huge thank you to Canary Wharf Contractors Fund for generously sponsoring the event. To sponsors LMAC Group (entertainer sponsor), Opticore (trophy sponsor), LMG (raffle sponsor), CMCCE, Masthaven, Metrus and MP Moran (tee sponsors) and Echelon for their fun hole 1 darts. Thank you to everyone who donated a prize, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee for their delicious drinks for all of the players and of course to all of our teams of golfers for joining us and their generosity on the day.

Congratulations to the winning teams – Executive Change (Tuesday) and Echelon (Wednesday), plus everyone who took home individual prizes.

Don’t miss out on our next event! Why not join us for our Comedy Night on Monday 16 November at The Comedy Store, London? Tickets on sale now.

Hudson Golf Day

Eight year old Hudson’s golf challenge

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By:

We are so proud of eight-year-old Hudson who took on an incredible golfing challenge to raise money for Spread a Smile, playing 4 rounds of golf in just one day and raising a whopping £3,162.

Hudson Golf DayA keen golfer and member of the under-12 county golf set-up, Hudson was inspired to take on his latest challenge after watching four adults attempt it during a round of golf with his dad and Papa. Having experienced the joy of Spread a Smile through our Summer Parties and online sessions for his brother, Hudson chose to support the charity to help other families create happy memories during difficult times.

Hudson has developed a real passion for fundraising over the past two years, setting himself personal challenges to support causes close to his family’s heart. Last year, he organised a village scarecrow competition, raising more than £500 for his local hospital, which has cared for his younger siblings, Kit and Noa, since their time in NICU.

A huge thank you to Hudson for taking on this incredible challenge. We’re so grateful for his determination, generosity and support.

Feeling inspired? Whether you’re planning a sporting challenge, organising an event or have your own fundraising idea, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with our fundraising team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org to get the ball rolling or click here for more on our upcoming events and challenges.

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.

Golf Days return in 2025

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For the latest information on our 2026 Golf Days, please click here. 

This year, our much loved Golf Days will take place on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September at the prestigious Woburn Golf Club and generously sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors Fund.

The club is part of The Bedford Estates, London and the first 54 Hole venue to have all three courses ranked in Golf Monthly Magazines TOP 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland. It is a beautiful location and we can’t wait to welcome you all there to play on The Duke’s Course.

More information about the day and reserving your four-ball can be found here, or email Tash Newell to sign up today. We’d also love to hear from you if you’re interested in exploring our sponsorship opportunities.

Over the years, thousands of pounds have been raised through our Golf Days for our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children, young people and their families. They offer something a little bit different, with our entertainers joining our teams around the course to provide entertainment and share a little bit of Spread a Smile magic. They are genuinely days to remember, with guests coming back year on year and we hope to welcome many of our supporters in September.

Event details:
Venue: Woburn Golf Club, Little Brickhill, Milton Keynes, MK17 9LJ
Dates: Thursday 25 September (12pm shotgun start with brunch, then dinner at 6pm)
Friday 26 September (10am shotgun start with breakfast followed by lunch at 4pm)
Four-ball: £1,400
Sponsorship opportunities: Starting from £300 for Tee sponsorship

See photos from our 2024 Golf Days here.

With thanks to our sponsor:

Canary Wharf Contractors Fund Golf Day

 780 400 Susie
By:

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.

Meet our supporters extraordinaire

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As a charity, Spread a Smile doesn’t receive any government funding and we are therefore extremely grateful to every single donor, fundraiser and corporate supporter who helps to fund out vital work.

Two such amazing people are Lee McDowell and Danny Imray who have supported Spread a Smile for a number of years, helping to raise thousands of pounds and much needed awareness for Spread a Smile.

Close friends for over 20 years, Lee and Danny are both successful businessmen within the construction industry and insurance industry respectively. We spoke to Lee and Danny about how they came to support Spread a Smile and what motivates them.

“We were first introduced to Spread a Smile by Lee’s friend Rob Threadgold who is also Chair of the Spread a Smile Business Committee. We were looking for a children’s charity to support as part of an event we were organising and found Spread a Smile to be the perfect fit. We hosted a football event at Billericay Football Club, bringing together 20 teams for an exciting 5-a-side tournament. The day was a great success, concluding with a lively gathering and a disco for all participants. It was great to have Spread a Smile as part of it and since then, we’ve been committed to doing what we can to support this brilliant charity.

“We’ve seen first-hand the positive impact that Spread a Smile has on the lives of the families they support. Knowing that our fundraising is helping to achieve that is incredibly rewarding. The dedication and effort put in by everyone at Spread a Smile is truly inspiring – something we find even more meaningful being parents ourselves. We are regularly kept up to date on the charity’s progress which helps motivate us and drives us to continue to do what we can do to help.

“Each year we host two annual events: a football day and a golf day, both aimed at raising awareness and funds for Spread a Smile. Additionally, a team of volunteers from Lee’s company LMAC Group generously gives up their time to help wrap and deliver Christmas gifts to seriously ill children and their siblings.

“Over the past three years, we’ve successfully raised over £123,427 for Spread a Smile, something we are extremely proud of. Our goal is to continue to build on this success and reach our target of £500,000 for the charity and to help spread even more smiles across the country.

“We feel proud to work with and support such a brilliant cause. The work they do is truly remarkable and knowing we are helping to raise essential funds to support numerous families during challenging times of their lives, is deeply fulfilling. Within our business, we have a unique platform to make a difference, and supporting Spread a Smile holds a special place in our hearts as it unites people and creates a sense of community. It is a privilege to be part of such a special family.”

It’s thanks to people like Lee and Danny that Spread a Smile is able to continue its work spreading joy and happiness to seriously ill children, young people and their families up and down the country. We’d like to say a huge thank you to them and everyone at LMAC Group for their incredible support. As Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive said, “Lee and Danny are an inspiration to us all and it is an absolute pleasure to have them as part of our Spread a Smile family. We are so grateful for all that they do to support Spread a Smile and our families, bringing such kindness and dedication to everything they do. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Spread a Smile Golf Days a huge success

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Last week we celebrated our 3rd annual Golf Days at the stunning Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire, welcoming an amazing 36 teams of four-balls across two days of golf.

The sun shone as the teams took on the 18-hole Palmerston Course, with Spread a Smile entertainers dotted around the course to cheer everyone on. Our magicians wowed our golfers with a little bit of magic, Judge the Poet was on hand with a bit of spontaneous poetry and our musicians Collette and Andy sang and played, making everyone smile with their personalised dedications.

Once the score sheets were in, guests enjoyed a lovely three course meal in the club house, followed by prize giving and a raffle, with Spread a Smile Chief Executive Lucy Jackson sharing a little bit about how our golfers will help to make a huge difference to the families we support.

Neil Taylor, Managing Director at Opticore IT said, “The organisation of the Spread a Smile Golf Day is always exceptional and the cause itself surpasses everything; it resonates with every person that attends. Having so many people in one place having a great time with a shared intention of making a difference is great see, it continues to bring people back year after year.”

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our teams for joining us and for helping to raise vital funds to spread smiles to the seriously ill children we support.

Also, to Opticore IT for sponsoring the water bottles, Elaine and Andrew Jaye for sponsoring the raffle, Activit Drinks for their generous donation of 200 cans of Tropical Boost Sparkling Water and Olly’s for kindly donating pretzels and olives for the golfers to enjoy on the course.

Please do get in touch with Rosie at rosie@spreadasmile.org if you would like to find out more about joining our 2024 Golf Days and our exciting sponsorship opportunities.