Posts Tagged :

spread a smile

Play in Healthcare Week – Why it matters

 780 400 Susie
By:

Every year, Play in Healthcare Week celebrates and highlights the importance of play in healthcare settings for babies, children and young people.

Play is more than a way to pass the time for children in hospital. It can help reduce anxiety, support communication, create connection, provide opportunities for choice and control, and help children cope with difficult experiences.

At Spread a Smile, we see this every day through music, magic, storytelling, art, therapy dog visits and child-led interactions. These interactions are play in action, helping children to cope and engage and creating space for childhood alongside treatment.

The Play Well Toolkit, developed by Starlight in partnership with NHS England and launched in May 2025, sets out the first national guidelines, standards and quality measures for health play services across England.

The toolkit recognises play as an essential part of children’s healthcare, highlighting its role in reducing anxiety, supporting emotional wellbeing, helping children cope with procedures and improving health outcomes. It calls for play to be embedded throughout the patient journey, with access to high-quality play opportunities and specialist support for every child who needs it.

At Spread a Smile, we are proud to help bring these principles to life every day through our regular hospital and virtual visits, creative sessions, art initiatives and family events. We work in partnership with 39 NHS hospitals, including 14 specialist children’s hospitals, supporting thousands of seriously ill children and young people every year with opportunities for play, creativity, distraction and social connection.

In doing so, we help children and young people feel less isolated, more empowered and better able to cope with the challenges of treatment, complementing the work of NHS play teams and supporting the toolkit’s vision of making healthcare environments more welcoming, child-friendly and emotionally supportive.

“Spread a Smile allows children to be children. You bring in the magic and wonder that enables families to make positive memories in what are, more often than not, life threatening situations for their children.” Mum

In our 2025 Healthcare Survey, 98% of parents and carers said that Spread a Smile’s visit improved their child’s hospital experience. 95% said that the visit had a positive impact on child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

These statistics speak for themselves and drive us in our aim to deliver regular weekly entertainment provision in all 28 dedicated specialist children’s hospitals across the UK by 2035. In doing so, we’ll be able to reach as many seriously ill children and young people as possible, helping to ensure that play is a visible and active part of healthcare.

We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to play, have fun and experience joy. With your support we can do just that.

Sign up to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with our work, the difference we make to the families we support and how you can get involved.

Golf Days 2026

Teeing off with our Golf Days 2026

 780 400 Susie
By:

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.

Mildreds Half Marathon challenge for Ari

 780 400 Susie
By:

This October, Mildreds Managing Director, Sam Anstey, along with fellow team members, family and friends are kindly taking on the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Spread a Smile in memory of Sam’s daughter, Ari.

So far, the team has raised an incredible £12,000 and counting with Sam saying,

“Spread a Smile was incredibly special to Ari and to our whole family. During some of the hardest times of her illness, they brought moments of happiness, laughter and normality when we needed them most. I am running the Royal Parks Half Marathon with close friends and some of the Mildreds team in memory of our special Ari and to raise money so Spread a Smile can continue doing the same for other children and families. Ari was our light, and it means so much to us to be doing this in her memory.”

Plant based restaurant group Mildreds has partnered with Spread a Smile since 2022, hosting regular tea parties for seriously ill children and their families supported by the charity. These events provide valuable opportunities for our families to experience enjoyable days out together, making memories, having fun and meeting others going through similar experiences.

Taking their training for the half marathon seriously, the Mildreds team organised ‘Fuelled By Mildreds: The Spread a Smile Run Club’, a series of 5km runs in partnership with social media influencers Issy and Calum Sedgwick-Goddard from Stay In It.

Fundraising Executive, Rimi Char said, “We are so grateful to the Mildreds team – Sam, Shaun, Michelle, Mandy, Danny, Talia and Michael – for all their support, training and fundraising efforts. The Spread a Smile Run Club is such a great way of motivating runners, helping them with their running aims and generally enjoying the training experience together. The team’s efforts serve as a wonderful tribute to beautiful Ari.

“This year, we will welcome our largest team of runners for the Royal Parks Half Marathon with over 70 taking on the challenge to help raise as much as possible to support our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people. Thank you to team Mildreds and every single one of our runners for going the extra mile for Spread a Smile.”

Find out more about joining Team Smile for one of our upcoming challenges:

Join us for World Smile Day 2026

 780 400 Susie
By:

Join us on Friday 2 October as we celebrate World Smile Day 2026 and help us to spread as many smiles as possible to seriously ill children in hospital.

World Smile Day is all about the power of a smile and small acts of kindness that brighten someone’s day. Every day, our team of entertainers – including musicians, magicians, therapy dogs and artists – give seriously ill children and their families across the country the chance to smile. But we can’t do it without your help.

A £20 donation could help bring music, magic and laughter to a seriously ill child in hospital. 

Whether you donate, get involved with your school or as a company, your support will mean we can continue to spread smiles, today, for World Smile Day and every day to come.

You can find out more about celebrating with your school here. Or email our Head of Partnerships, katy@spreadasmile.org to find out more about getting your company involved.

Get ready for World Smile Day 2026 and let’s all share as many smiles as possible across the country.

Supporting Children with Cancer Beyond Clinical Care

 780 400 Susie
By:

The NHS National Cancer Plan for England, published in February 2026, acknowledged for the first time that children and young people living with cancer have unique needs that extend beyond just clinical care. Alongside treatment and recovery, the Plan highlights the importance of emotional wellbeing, positive hospital experiences and holistic support for children and families.

Around 54% of the children and young people supported by Spread a Smile are living with cancer. Our job is to help children be children, bringing play, creativity, entertainment and moments of joy during some of the toughest times in their young lives.

Through our team of professional entertainers, artists and musicians visiting seriously ill children in hospital both online and virtually,, we help to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety, support emotional wellbeing and create positive shared experiences for the whole family.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we are shining a light on the fact that emotional support, play and joy are not simply ‘nice to have’ additions to cancer care. They are essential to helping children and families cope with the impact of a cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Children like Alexia…

“Alexia was diagnosed with a rare mixed germ cell tumour and spent the next three months living in hospital as her medical team worked out a treatment plan and next steps. To say our world was literally turned upside down would be an understatement.

“Spread a Smile provided a much needed and welcome distraction whilst Alexia was in hospital. She would try so hard to be brave all the time and keep a smile on her face but I knew that she missed being at home with her siblings and friends. We would often hear the singing and laughter before we saw the familiar Spread a Smile t-shirts and she would be eagerly staring at her door waiting for the opportunity to see one of the entertainers.

“In one of her admissions when she was in isolation, they even stood at her door and did a performance just for her. It really made her feel special and reminded her that life wasn’t always going to be this hard and maybe there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

“It really brought tears to my eyes to see how much effort the Spread a Smile team put into making each child feel special and putting a smile on their faces. It really made a huge difference to me as a parent to see how happy it made Alexia every time she spent time with one of the Spread a Smile team.” Mum – Alana

As the NHS looks to strengthen holistic support for children and young people affected by cancer, Spread a Smile is proud to play its part, working alongside 39 NHS partner hospitals  across the UK to ensure children and families receive the support they need.

Sign up to our enewsletter to stay up to date with how Spread a Smile are supporting seriously ill children across the country and how you can get involved.

Summer Party 2026

Record-breaking 2026 Summer Party

 780 400 Susie
By:

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.Summer Party 2026 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.

Entertainer Spotlight: Sar and Elsie

 780 400 Hannah Myers
By:

Sar with the Guitar and Elsie the Star!

Spread a Smile’s entertainers bring joy, laughter and connection to seriously ill children and young people through music, magic, storytelling, art and therapy dogs. This month, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our longest-serving entertainers, Sar, and her four-legged companion, Elsie.

Sar joined Spread a Smile in 2013, just six months after the charity was founded, and has been helping to spread smiles ever since.

Reflecting on her early days with the charity, Sar said: “I joined Spread a Smile in 2013, 6 months after the charity first started. It’s been incredible to see how much the charity has grown since those early days and witness first-hand the impact it has made on thousands of seriously ill children and their families over the years.”

Using music to connect with children and families has always been at the heart of Sar’s work.

“I loved the idea of using my skills playing the guitar and singing nursery rhymes to support children and families during incredibly difficult times – creating moments of joy, laughter, and normality for young people in hospital.”

Music has played an important role throughout Sar’s life. Growing up in a musical family, with both parents playing the piano, she learnt to play the guitar from the age of 12 and developed a passion for singing and amateur dramatics. Following the birth of her first child in 1997, Sar and her twin sister founded Little Stars, a music group for babies and toddlers, which they ran for 16 years.

Over the past 12 years, Sar has seen Spread a Smile grow from supporting children at one hospital to reaching thousands of children and families across the country.

“When I first joined the charity, we were only entertaining in Great Ormond Street Hospital, but even then, the heart and purpose behind the work were very clear. Over the past 12 years I have seen SAS expand into another 38 hospitals and 6 hospices, offering a wider range of services and events to the children and families we support. What has never changed is the importance of connection. A visit from the entertainers can completely change the atmosphere of a hospital room creating magical moments and memories.”

Throughout her visits, Sar has witnessed first-hand the difference that entertainment can make during difficult times.

“There have been so many memorable moments over the years. One of the most special things is seeing a child who is withdrawn and

anxious suddenly light up through music, bubbles, and interaction.

I have met many families who were going through incredibly difficult times and hearing them say that a visit gave them a moment of relief, or that they haven’t seen their child smile or laugh in weeks is something I never forget.”

For Sar, the relationships built along the way are one of the most rewarding parts of being a Spread a Smile entertainer and when asked what she enjoys most about being part of Spread a Smile she says: “The people, without question. I love building connections with children, families, hospital staff and of course the other entertainers. It is incredibly rewarding to know that something as simple as music and conversation can make someone’s day a little brighter.”

Meet Elsie

Alongside her guitar, Sar is now joined by Elsie, a Maltipoo therapy dog who is already helping to spread smiles on hospital visits.

Elsie loves chicken and treats, going for walks, sleeping, spending time with her best friend Bamba and climbing onto Sar for cuddles first thing in the morning. Although Sar originally wanted to call her CeCe, her family had other ideas and Elsie now answers to a variety of nicknames including Elsielee, Else, Neesha and Snooies.

“After seeing the other gorgeous Spread a Smile therapy dogs in action, I knew Elsie would be a perfect fit for the job. Elsie has a naturally calm, gentle temperament. She is affectionate, patient, sociable and very responsive to people’s emotions. Becoming a therapy dog felt like a wonderful way for her to bring comfort and happiness to others.”

To become a therapy dog, Elsie completed a series of assessments designed to test her temperament and suitability for hospital environments.

“Elsie began her journey to becoming a pet therapy dog with an assessment in the park, where we met with a representative who asked a series of questions about her temperament and behaviour. After observing her and discussing her personality she successfully passed the assessment.

The next stage of her training took place at GOSH where she was assessed again. I walked Elsie around a ward so she could experience the hospital environment, meet patients and families. Elsie remained calm, friendly, and confident throughout, demonstrating the qualities needed to provide comfort to those in hospital.”

Together, Sar and Elsie are helping to create moments of comfort, connection and joy for children and families when they need them most.

A huge thank you to Sar and Elsie for helping us spread smiles to seriously ill children across the country.

Please donate today and help ensure our therapy dogs can continue to bring joy and comfort when it’s needed most.

Spread a Smile Appeal

 780 400 Susie
By:

Today marks the launch of the Spread a Smile 2026 Appeal — and we need you to help make it our most impactful yet.

Running from 5–9 July, the five-day campaign is all about coming together to help bring much-needed joy, laughter and connection to seriously ill children and young people across the country.

Every year, tens of thousands of children face long hospital stays, missing out on the simple joys of childhood — playdates, school trips, and time with friends. Instead, their days are filled with clinical routines and uncertainty. That’s where Spread a Smile steps in — delivering entertainment, creativity and happiness when it’s needed most.

This year, our goal is ambitious: to deliver 23,000 smiles. And with your help, we know we can do it.

How you can get involved

Joining the appeal is quick and easy — and every action you take can make a real difference:

  • Sign up to become a Spread a Smile Champion
  • Receive your personalised fundraising page link
  • Share it with your network via WhatsApp, email and social media
  • Encourage friends, family and colleagues to donate — every contribution counts
  • Then watch something truly special happen.
Small actions. Big impact.

Whether it’s a single message, a shared post, or a quick donation, your support helps bring moments of joy to children who need them most. Together, we can turn generosity into laughter, connection and unforgettable smiles.

Become a Champion Today

We can’t do this without you — and we need you now.

👉 Become a Champion. Share your page. Inspire donations.
👉 Be part of delivering 23,000 smiles.

Let’s make this July unforgettable.

Register your interest!

Spreading smiles at The Royal London

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Our Spread a Smile entertainers recently brought moments of joy and distraction to young patients with additional support needs at the Dental Hospital at The Royal London. Hospital visits and treatments can be particularly overwhelming for children who require extra support, and our team works closely with hospital staff to ensure every interaction feels safe, calm, and engaging.

Using gentle, visual magic and soothing music, our entertainers helped transform what might have been a stressful appointment into a more positive and comforting experience for children and their families. These small moments of connection can make a big difference, offering reassurance, smiles, and a welcome break from worry.

Laura Walter, Director of Services at Spread a Smile, said:
“We know how challenging hospital environments can be for children with additional needs. Our aim is always to meet each child where they are, adapting our approach so they feel supported, seen, and able to enjoy a moment of joy and distraction during a difficult time.”

A huge thank you to the wonderful team at The Royal London for welcoming us and for the incredible care they provide every day. We’re proud to work alongside you to bring joy to young patients.

Help us spread more smiles. Donate today.

 

Edward Gordon-Hall Spread a smile Trustee

Welcome new Trustee: Edward Gordon-Hall

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
By:

Spread a Smile is delighted to welcome Edward Gordon-Hall as a new Trustee to our Board. As we continue to grow and strengthen the charity, Edward’s leadership, expertise and perspective will play an important role in helping us maximise our long-term impact for seriously ill children and their families.

Edward is the Chief Executive Officer of law firm Druces LLP, having previously held the role of Finance Director. A qualified accountant, he brings over 30 years’ experience advising and working with professional services firms, offering valuable insight across strategy, finance and operations.

Spread a Smile looks forward to working closely with Edward as we continue to develop the charity and deliver lasting impact for the children and families we support.

Edward said:

“I’m really pleased to be joining the Board of Spread a Smile. The charity does such meaningful and uplifting work, and I’m proud to support its mission. I hope my experience in strategy, finance and governance will help strengthen the charity and support its long-term impact.”

You can explore our board of Trustees here.
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