Posts Tagged :

spread a smile

Gabrielle Devine joins Spread a Smile

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Spread a Smile is delighted to welcome Gabrielle Devine, our new Digital Marketing Executive to the team. We spoke to Gabrielle about her background and what led her to make the move into the charity sector.

“Moving into the charity sector has long been a dream of mine. My passion for making a positive difference began during the COVID-19 pandemic when I started volunteering as a befriender for Glasgow’s Golden Generation, a charity which supports the wellbeing of elderly individuals facing social isolation. I’ve continued this for almost five years now. Seeing the impact a simple, friendly interaction can have on someone’s day, and making a positive difference in the lives of others, is something that is really important to me.

“This experience resonated deeply with Spread a Smile’s mission: bringing joy and distraction to seriously ill children and their families as they face prolonged time in hospital. In just my first few weeks here, I’ve already seen the huge difference Spread a Smile makes. My first family event was particularly impactful. The dedication to giving individualised attention to each child and their family, combined with the team’s incredible effort in seamlessly running the event, resulted in genuine laughter and fun for the children – and it was wonderful to see their parents smiling alongside them.

“As a painter with a fine art background, I’m especially drawn to how Spread a Smile nurtures young people’s creativity and self-expression in hospitals. Through arts and crafts sessions and by decorating wards with vibrant paintings, we bring comfort and a vital outlet for expression into children’s lives, which is so important during long hospital stays and time away from school.

“I’m incredibly excited to be part of such an amazing team within such a special charity. I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in the Spread a Smile mission, helping to grow our social media presence and share the incredible work we do with the world. I’m especially keen to help us reach new audiences across all our social platforms, particularly on TikTok, and grow our accounts by sharing compelling stories through great images, videos, and impactful writing.”

Susie Baxter, Spread a Smile’s Head of Marketing also said, “I’m delighted to welcome Gabrielle to the team and looking forward to seeing the impact she will no doubt make as we support the charity’s awareness, fundraising and service delivery goals. It is an exciting time for Spread a Smile in terms of our position and aims going forward and already we’re developing lots of new socials initiatives to increase our exposure and ultimately ensure we can continue to be there for seriously ill children and their families when they need us most.”

 

 

Lego Play pavilion charity day

World Play Day with the LEGO Group

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Spread a Smile was delighted to be invited by the LEGO Group to welcome some of the families we support to the LEGO Play Pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery, London for some exciting LEGO® based workshops and fun.

The pop-up pavilion was installed to celebrate World Play Day, the LEGO Group’s celebration of the UN’s International Day of Play on 11 June and featured brilliant LEGO® creations including a LEGO® wall, slide and a giant parrot. Families supported by Spread a Smile were invited to join across two days, immersing themselves in the world of play and LEGO® and taking part in three workshops:

“Abstract Art” – using large trays of LEGO® in all different shapes, sizes and colours, guests were encouraged to make an abstract piece of art which were then displayed on a large mural wall.

“Pop Art” – for this workshop, the families used a 10 x 10 base board to create any design they wanted in the style of pop art, which finished pieces including a rainbow and characters such as Mario and PAC-Man!

“Speed Building Challenge” – This fun, quick fire building challenge saw our families create a robot using their LEGO® within 7 minutes, before adapting the robots to fly and then adding extra parts so the robot could swim underwater.

LEGO play pavilion

Events such as these provide meaningful and valuable opportunities for families with seriously ill children to do something fun together, providing moments of creativity, connection, and enjoyment.

The workshop leaders were fantastic, showing incredible patience and adapting the workshops to suit each family, and we are so grateful to the LEGO Group for offering this wonderful opportunity to the families we support.

At Spread a Smile, we are proud of the partnerships we build with our corporate supporters. We’ve worked with the LEGO Group for a number of years, developing innovative initiatives to support families with seriously ill children and creating a special and mutually beneficial partnership which engages and inspires everyone involved.

If you or your company would like to find out more about developing a bespoke partnership with Spread a Smile, then please do reach out to Rosie Perkins from our Partnerships Team at rosie@spreadasmile.org.

Toys Hospital Visit Spread a Smile Hasbro

Visit to Southampton Children’s Hospital

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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For International Day of Play on 11 June, the Spread a Smile team took to the road to make a special in-person visit to Southampton Children’s Hospital, bringing moments of joy and laughter to the wards.

We were joined by our wonderful friends at Hasbro, who generously volunteered their time and donated toys to give out to patients and be used in communal play sessions, to help make the day as fun as possible.

Spread a Smile magicians Lee and Nick, Fairy Kirsten and singer Tasha all brought the usual Spread a Smile magic to the visit, reaching over 50 patients across the wards and spreading smiles, happiness and laughter.

Fiona Delement, Health Play Specialist at Southampton Children’s Hospital said,

“The Spread a Smile visit was fantastic! Your team was amazing, so kind, caring and completely understood the way hospitals work. They were patient and understanding and fantastic at their jobs. They definitely did what it said on their t-shirts – the smiles were great to see, and we had such lovely comments from staff and families. My highlights were hearing belly laughter from the children who weren’t keen to start with and the little girl in ED who asked if she could sing for us.”

At Spread a Smile, we recognise the important role of play for children and young people in hospital. During times of isolation and vulnerability, when access to play might be limited, we aim to provide moments of distraction, and happiness. We see play as a key part of their well-being and recovery.

Our sincere thanks to Hasbro for their generosity, both in their toy donations and the support of their volunteers on the day. We are extremely proud of this wonderful partnership.

Sign up to our newsletter here to stay up to date with all things Spread a Smile.

June 2025 e-newsletter

 780 400 Susie
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Our June 2025 supporter newsletter is here!

Take a look for all the latest from Spread a Smile including…

  • Celebrating International Day of Play
  • Meet Mum Tarien, and read how our Parent Pamper Day supported her
  • Our first in-person visit to Nottingham Children’s Hospitsl
  • More on our recent Family Events
  • A special Memorial Ceremony with Clarksons
  • Meet our entertainers – JUDGE the POET
  • The Corinthia London fundraising walk
  • Golf Days in support of Spread a Smile
  • Meet Carly – our superstar fundraiser
  • LMAC Group Football Tournament

We hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter and if you’re not already receiving it, you can sign up here.

Corporate fundraising golf day

Canary Wharf Contractors Fund Golf Day

 780 400 Susie
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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.

In-person visit to Nottingham

 780 400 Susie
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The Spread a Smile team recently brought joy to NHS partner, Nottingham Children’s Hospital with the first of our regular in-person visits to children on the wards

Spread a Smile has been supporting young patients at the hospital since 2021, spreading smiles through virtual sessions and seasonal activities such as treat drops. We’re delighted to be expanding our support to include monthly in-person visits by our talented team of entertainers, ensuring we can reach even more seriously ill children and young people when they need it most.

Spending time in hospital can be really challenging for children, especially when they’re missing school, friends, family and their usual activities. That’s why our entertainer visits are so important – providing laughter and entertainment, plus opportunities to build relationships and connections with others. Fairy Becca and Judge the Poet spent the day meeting patients, sharing songs poetry and chats and bringing the usual Spread a Smile sparkle across the wards.

Spread a Smile also recently donated one of our special libraries, full of books suitable for all ages and abilities for families with children on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to borrow and enjoy The donated is part of our Intensive Care Library Project which has seen us deliver libraries to 14 NHS hospital partners across the country, helping to provide meaningful distraction and engagement to families with seriously ill children.

To stay up to date with all the things Spread a Smile, please sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

Alternatively, if you’d like to support our visits, you can make a monthly donation here.

Football with LMAC Group

 780 400 Susie
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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.

Meet Judge the Poet

 780 400 Susie
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Meet Judge the Poet, one of our longest serving entertainers who uses his talents as a poet to spread smiles and wonder and bring joy and distraction to seriously ill children in hospital. We chatted to Judge about his career as a poet and how he started working with Spread a Smile, back when the charity was founded in 2013.

Tell us a bit about your background as a poet
“I am a Spontaneous Poet which involves taking any combination of words, ideas or suggestions from people and then immediately reciting a poem that rhymes, makes sense and features everything they said.

“After completing a degree in English Literature, I wanted to find a way to make poems enjoyable and accessible to as many people as possible. I am very fortunate in my career as I am invited to work all over the world, including for Royalty, celebrities and on TV and radio. And I perform at everything from private parties and celebrations to corporate events, arts festivals, etc.

“For Spread a Smile, I love creating verses for all the brilliant children and their families – and the poems can be as silly or serious as they wish! As well as being a unique and unusual entertainment for them, it can also be helpful and meaningful… as they often ask me to do poems about them, their families, their situation.”

How did you get involved with Spread a Smile and what does your role look like?
“Vanessa Crocker, one of the charity’s wonderful co-founders, had seen my work before Spread a Smile had started. She called me in early 2013 saying there was this brilliant charity starting and asked if I would I like to be involved. And, 12 years later, I’m still glad to do my bit.

“The charity was obviously a lot smaller then and it’s been great to see how it has grown.  It’s such a simple-yet-excellent idea and it really does so much good. I think the ideals and the sincere heart that Josephine and Vanessa instilled into the whole project got it off to a brilliant start. They recruited a really good team of entertainers, looked after them, and made sure that everyone got it right.

“There were obviously fewer of us in those early days and fewer hospitals and visits too.  Now there are over 100 entertainers, although there are still quite a few of us “old-timers”, which is a testament to how much we care about what Spread a Smile can do.

“I still love going into the hospitals and seeing the real impact of our work and how much it helps the patients and their families. As the charity has grown so much, I also sometimes travel to hospitals further afield including Nottingham, Leicester, Bristol, Oxford and Alder Hey in Liverpool.”

What is the impact of Spread a Smile’s work that you see?
“We call it “smiles” and it’s always that, but it is often so much more. Our interactions provide magical moments and memories – something for the children and their families to talk about long after we have left. They are often going through dark and difficult times, and we bring the sunshine and the light.

“I have seen young children, who were not taking their medicine, do so when a fairy sang to them. I’ve heard parents say it’s the first time they have seen their child smile, laugh, or even interact, in weeks. We bring moments of meaning, distraction and hope. Sometimes it’s only when you talk to a patient or their family many years later that they are able to fully explain the amazing and important impact Spread a Smile had.

“And then there are all the events, parties and gifts that Spread a Smile organises, allowing the families to have beautiful, special moments that their difficult journey might otherwise prevent.”

Tell us a little about the importance of the spoken word and your poetry
“Because there is no “script” I can create everything to exactly suit each individual child, their family, and the moment. I also adapt the style depending on the age and personalities involved. While I love performing to all ages, I seem to be particularly successful with some of our more (apparently) difficult-to-please teenagers… who might generally tell people they don’t want any “entertainment”. I love finding a way to get them to respond and, when they fully engage in the moment, it’s great to see the difference it makes. What I do is obviously very different and I truly feel it’s an honour to be able to share this with these amazing patients and families.”

Have you ever been ‘stumped’ by a word request?
“While I’ve never been unable to do a poem using the words they offer, I do get some unusual ones thrown at me.  Sometimes they even want me to find a rhyme for the names of their medicines!  Fortunately, I love a challenge!”

Second Teen Brunch at Mallow

 780 400 Susie
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During the May half-term, we were delighted to return to the gorgeous plant-based restaurant, Mallow in Borough Market, for our second Teen Brunch.

Being a teenager in hospital and undergoing treatment for serious illness can be extremely challenging and isolating, with long periods of time spent away from friends and social activities and limited entertainment options. Spread a Smile’s Teen Brunches are aimed at young people over the age of 12, and are a bespoke opportunity for them to enjoy themselves and meet other young people in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

10 families joined us (25 people in total), with guests enjoying a delicious vegan brunch including scrambled tofu, pancakes, toasties, fruit kebabs and yoghurt with fruits. Spread a Smile entertainers Rosie and Collette performed a medley of pop songs and requests from the families, with magician Nick Einhorn sharing his magic skills and more team members on hand with arts, crafts and glitter tattoos.

The Teen Brunches create a wonderful sense of togetherness, and it was heartwarming to see everyone chatting and enjoying time together over a delicious meal.

Our thanks as always to the brilliant team at Mallow for their support and kindness in making these get togethers possible.

If you would like to find out more about how you or your company can get involved with supporting Spread a Smile, please reach out to our Partnerships Manager, Rosie at rosie@spreadasmile.org – thank you.

Sponsor a therapy dog

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Spread a Smile’s therapy dogs are an integral part of our team of entertainers. They have a unique way of providing physical warmth and affection, distraction and fun. They offer support during stressful or painful medical procedures and can help with rehabilitation and physio exercises. They also help to bring happiness and familiarity for children who are missing their pets at home.

Spread a Smile currently has six amazing therapy dogs working with us, Buddy, Cobi, Harry, Scout, Smartie and Thomas, each bringing so much comfort to children they meet in hospital, plus to wider family members and staff.

 

“We’ve loved the therapy dog visits as we have a dog at home, so whenever Teddy saw one of the Spread a Smile dogs, his face would just light up. He loved stroking them, giving them treats and rolling the ball to them. It was wonderful to watch.”

By sponsoring a Spread a Smile therapy dog, you’ll be helping to ensure they can continue to be there during the most difficult times, providing support in hospital, at our family events and also through focussed initiatives in specialist areas. One example is our work with The Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, one of UCLH’s specialist hospitals. The Paediatric Dentistry Unit sees complex patients for whom a typical dental visit in primary care would be difficult and since November 2022, we have been trialling the use of therapy dogs to provide support for patients to help reduce anxiety and stress.

Spread a Smile doesn’t receive any government funding and we rely completely on generous donors, companies, fundraisers and supporters to continue our work bringing joy and happiness to seriously ill children, young people and their families across the country.

Click here to meet each of our therapy dogs and find out more about sponsoring Buddy, Cobi, Harry, Scout, Smartie and Thomas, or email Rosie at rosie@spreadasmile.org to get the ball rolling. Together we can ensure our therapy dogs continue to be there for children in hospital during some of the most difficult times of their lives.