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Great Ormond Street Hospital

Children with Cancer UK joins visit to GOSH

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Gavin Maggs, Chief Executive of our partner Children with Cancer UK, joined the Spread a Smile team on a special visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in November this year.

Gavin spent time with Spread a Smile Chief Executive Lucy Jackson, along with one of our magicians and Fairy Becca, meeting patients and families across the wards, sharing laughter and joy and handing out the brand-new Children with Cancer UK mascot, Corry the teddy bear.

Corry was inspired by nine-year-old Olivia, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at 17 months old, leaving her blind. Her teddy bear Corry has been by her side during her ongoing cancer journey. A symbol of comfort and hope, Corry acts as a reminder that no child should face cancer alone

Children with Cancer UK have been supporting Spread a Smile since 2023, providing vital funding to support our hospital visits and family events. Gavin’ visit was a wonderful opportunity for him to see first-hand the difference Children with Cancer UK are helping to make for seriously ill children and young people with cancer across our NHS hospital partners.

Both charities share a strong commitment to supporting children and young people during illness. By working together, we can reach even more families, ensuring that laughter and positivity remain part of every child’s hospital journey.

Lucy Jackson said, “We were delighted to welcome Gavin for our visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital to see our entertainers in action and show just how valuable our work is spreading smiles to seriously ill children in hospital. It’s thanks to partners such as Children with Cancer UK that we’re able to deliver our services – from entertainer visits in hospitals, to special outings and events for young patients and their families, virtual sessions and more. Thank you to Gavin and the team at Children with Cancer UK for their ongoing support and commitment to spreading smiles when they are needed most.”

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New weekend visits to GOSH

 780 400 Susie
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Weekends often mean much quieter wards and less distraction and activities available for seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment in hospital. Time can go very slowly, particularly for those spending time in isolation in their own room.

Which is why Spread a Smile recently started weekend visits to patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Laura Walter, Director of Services for Spread a Smile said, “We are so excited to now be offering a monthly Saturday visit at GOSH. We know from speaking to families that it can be difficult to pass the time in hospital over the weekends, and the days can seem long and monotonous. Weekends can also be an added challenge for families, who are torn between home and hospital. At Spread a Smile, we want to provide as many play opportunities to children and young people as possible, and we recognise that play doesn’t stop at the weekend.”

For September, Spread a Smile Visit Manager Debbie, along with Sar and her guitar worked closely with the GOSH Play Team to visit some of the long term babies and toddlers on the wards, bringing  music, instruments and song. It was lovely to receive some fantastic feedback after the visit from staff and parents of patients saying how beneficial and much appreciated the interactions were.

Each month, the visit will focus on a different theme, bringing a variety of exciting activities and sessions over the weekends, with a special LEGO play visit following in October.

Thank you to our generous donors and supporters for enabling us to continue our vital work supporting seriously ill children and their families when they need it most.

 

10 years partnership with GOSH

 1024 564 Susie
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Spread a Smile’s partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) dates back to when Josephine Segal and Vanessa Crocker founded Spread a Smile 10 years ago.

In 2013, Josephine’s young nephew, Aaron, was receiving treatment at GOSH. After noticing that Aaron was becoming increasingly withdrawn, she arranged for a magician to visit. It had the most remarkable effect: Aaron’s spirits were lifted and his treatment became more bearable.

As a result, Aaron asked if magicians could also visit friends that he’d met on the ward and Josephine promised Aaron she would find a way to make it happen.  Josephine teamed up with friend and former colleague Vanessa Crocker and working closely with GOSH, they founded Spread a Smile.

Since then, the Spread a Smile has continued to work closely with the team at GOSH to spread smiles to their patients, providing regular in person entertainer visits, online sessions, treat drops and much more.

Spread a Smile Sensory Boxes

Today we are proud to visit the hospital twice a week providing support across all in patient wards including the three paediatric intensive care units at the hospital: Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU), Paediatric Intensive Care (PICU) and Cardiac Intensive Care (CICU) as well as other wards such as oncology day care, outpatients and pre-op.

We spoke to Jamie Wilcox, Head of Volunteer Services at GOSH about our important work supporting children and young people under the GOSH’s care.

“As the Trust lead for volunteering and visiting organisations, patient parties and other entertainment, the inspirational co-founders of Spread a Smile, Josephine and Vanessa, came to meet me back in the early days of the organisation’s life.

“Over the past 10 years I have watched a small and highly passionate team of volunteers create and grow an idea into a large, fully-staffed, well-governed, slick charity, serving a number of hospitals and providing a much-needed service.

“I can’t tell you how many times GOSH staff have commented on how important it has been to have weekly visits from highly skilled professional entertainers. Not only does it have a direct impact on the patients and families, but having entertainers in the hospital brightens the wards, lifts staff spirits, helps them with anxious patients and gives them an opportunity to smile.

Spread a Smile Team at GOSH over Christmas

“We have seen how Spread a Smile entertainers can relax a patient, help them feel that little bit better on a tough day, be a wonderful distraction from a procedure or being in pain. The entertainers spend considerable 

time with each patient, adapting to their needs and expectations – whether that be a quiet song with some fairies, an upbeat interactive performance from a magician, doing face painting, or delivering a special poem created right there on the spot. This wonderful organisation has such a diverse and varied depth of talent it can accommodate any patient of any age and help take them away from the clinical environment for a moment of their day.

“There is no other organisation in the hospital that provides a service so professionally and regularly. We are proud to have it as one of our key partners.”