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spread a smile

February 2025 newsletter

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Our February supporter newsletter is here!

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

  • News on our two latest hospital partners
  • The latest on our family events and half-term activities
  • Kian’s story for International Epilepsy Day
  • Launch of our two 2025 Padel Tournaments
  • An update on our Real Estate Committee
  • More on the London to Brighton bike ride in July
  • Freddie and Richard’s story, from support to fundraising

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

Valentine’s event gets the party started

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On Thursday 20 February Spread a Smile held a brilliant Valentine’s Party at the Brunswick Art Gallery for some of the seriously ill children we support and their families.

The day was filled with lots of valentine’s themed art activities including canvas painting, coaster designing and decorating heart shaped trinket boxes with gems, sequins and heart shaped stickers. There was also a ‘selfie mirror’ with props, a DJ and live singer, a magic show from Mr Magic, face painting, and a scavenger hunt.

Our guests enjoyed a sweet stand, pizza, chicken and chips and yummy cupcakes and brownies, generously donated by our friends at Lola’s Cupcakes.

Towards the end of the party, everyone had the chance to have a go on the DJ decks and sing songs of their choice which was such a special moment as everyone gather around and cheered one another on. From ‘Popular’ to ‘Let it Go’ with a bit of AC/DC thrown in too – the families all clapped and cheered as the children felt comfortable enough to sing in front of everyone. It was a really special moment for everyone in the room.

This was Spread a Smile’s second time hosting an event at the Brunswick Art Gallery and the day was summed up by Mum Claire and her daughter Eva who sent us the following message after the event:

“What a wonderful day full of crafting, fun, laughter, trickery, music and happy proud tears!

“Each child and their family was made feel so special and encouraged and as always are bellies and hearts were filled. From Tik Toks to DJ-ing, Karaoke and Broadway showcases, the talent and encouragement in the room was something to behold.

“Spread a Smile doesn’t just spread smiles, they spread confidence and create a safe space no matter the venue for children and families to become so comfortable that barriers drop and families support each other.

“Hospitals and treatments in their nature create isolation which can hinder children in their ability to interact with their peers. They can lose out on forming and building these key skills, but Spread a Smile helps to rebuild their resilience.

“Over the last year we have seen our shy and reserved child blossom into a more confident pre-teen. To see her supporting the magician and leading the room in a song was monumental. We are very lucky to have you all championing each child to remember what childhood should and can be – FUN!”

Every year, Spread a Smile organises events like this to support families with seriously ill children. They range from art events, to theatre trips, foodie experiences, zoo outings and so much more and it’s thanks to our generous supporters and fundraisers that we are able to continue to provide these important experiences for families going through the worst of times.

Please do get in touch to find out more about our events or how you can get involved to support this vital work which brings joy and happiness during the darkest of times.

Chocolate workshop at MyChocolate

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At Spread a Smile, we try to ensure our family events cater for all ‘tastes’, so our first ever chocolate making workshop really did go down a treat.

The workshop was held at MyChocolate near Old Street in London and led by one of their brilliant theatrical chocolatiers, who brought so much energy and flair to the session. We were joined by 12 children who all experienced making some delicious chocolate truffles, filled with all sorts of yummy flavours such as honeycomb, sea salt, dried fruits and colourful sprinkles.

The chocolatier guided them through each step, from piping the chocolate to rolling it to their desired shape and finally coating the truffles in cocoa powder before topping it with edible decorations.

Our VIP guests also enjoyed making chocolate slabs and were taught the art of decorative feathering and other design work using dark, milk and white chocolate.

There was chocolate everywhere, but everyone had such a fantastic time creating their chocolate masterpieces. Working in pairs meant that the young people taking part were able to make new friends and socialise with other patients whilst their parents enjoyed a relaxing cup of tea, sitting together and chatting.

Every year Spread a Smile organises a calendar of family outings, events and activities to support young patients, their parents, carers and siblings and bring moments of respite, joyful experiences and enduring memories at the most challenging of times.

Our thanks go to Hannah Saxton, Owner of MyChocolate for making us all feel so welcome and creating such a wonderful day which brought so much joy to the families who joined us.

Find out more about our work here.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital partnership

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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce a new partnership with Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, part of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT). Spread a Smile will be supporting children and young people receiving treatment at the hospital and they, along with their families, are invited to join the Spread a Smile family and benefit from its services.

Spread a Smile’s mission is to bring joy and laughter to as many seriously ill children as possible in NHS hospitals, clinical settings, hospices and homes across the UK. Queen Elizabeth Hospital joins 36 other major and speciality NHS hospitals, and six hospice partners already supported by Spread a Smile, taking the charity one step closer to its aim of spreading smiles to every seriously ill child and young person across the country.

The Spread a Smile team of talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend quality time with patients through regular in-person visits to the hospital. In addition, patients and their families will be able to access a range of Spread a Smile support services including virtual sessions, outings and events. All of which supports Spread a Smile’s aim of reaching and supporting as many young people as possible, spreading smiles and a lot of happiness to children undergoing treatment for serious illnesses and their families.

Summer Pavitt, Healthcare Play Specialist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: “At LGT, we are excited to partner with the Spread a Smile team. We’ve seen first-hand the amazing difference this charity makes in the lives of our children and young people during challenging times. We’re looking forward to future visits and are grateful for the positive impact they’ve had on our youngest patients.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile is proud to be working with the team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, to support young patients under their care, helping to provide distraction and much needed moments of engagement and fun. We are looking forward to our visits, meeting even more patients, families and staff and spreading as many smiles as possible.”

Find out more about our work here.

Family event with The Brain Tumour Charity

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On Saturday 1 February, Spread a Smile and The Brain Tumour Charity joined forces to host a wonderful family event for young patients affected by a brain tumour, along with their families.

This was the first event of its kind, taking place at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, with 60 guests joining us for a day full of fun activities and entertainment, with the aim of bringing together families going through some of the most difficult times in a shared, positive experience.

Ellen Walker, Head of Family events said, “It was a pleasure to welcome so many families supported by Spread a Smile and The Brain Tumour Charity for a such a wonderful day together. It was so lovely to see everyone chatting and sharing their experiences, knowing that the other family knew exactly what they were going through.”

Spread a Smile entertainers, including magicians, fairies, balloon modellers and more, were on hand to join in the fun, with so much for everyone to enjoy including magic shows with Makaton, singing, arts and crafts, face painting and music quizzes.

Our friends from Brigits Bakery provided gorgeous afternoon tea boxes for the children and young people, alongside delicious cupcakes from the brilliant Lola’s Cupcakes. The adults were not left out and were treated to lovely sandwich platters and snacks.

Clare Jackson, Support Manager for The Brain Tumour Charity said, “We are so pleased to have worked with Spread a Smile to offer this event to families within our community. It was brilliant to bring so many families together for a fun filled day, whilst providing the opportunity to connect with others who understand.” 

The room was filled with laughter and smiles and we would like to say a huge thank you to all our guests for joining us. Also to The Brain Tumour Charity for their hard work in making the day such a success and Brigits Bakery and Lola’s Cupcakes for their support.

New NHS partnership with The NHNN

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Spread a Smile is delighted to announce a new partnership with The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), part of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NHNN is the UK’s largest dedicated neurological and neurosurgical hospital, providing comprehensive services for the diagnosis, treatment and care of all conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system and muscles.

NHNN is an adult hospital, but Spread a Smile will be supporting young people receiving specialist treatment at the hospital, with our talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, spending quality time with patients through regular monthly in-person visits. In addition, patients and their families will be able to access a range of Spread a Smile support services including virtual sessions, outings and events.

Frenchesca James-Young, Advanced Youth & Young Adult Support Co-ordinator for The NHNN/UCLH said: “One of our patients, B, has been at the NHNN for 6 months, following a swift transfer from another hospital. This time has been a rollercoaster for both him and his Dad, with B rapidly deteriorating and being moved to the ITU at the NHNN. There were many points where we thought he would not have seen Christmas.  

“During this time, I contacted Spread a Smile, having worked with them previously, to see if they would consider visiting young people in an adult setting at The NHNN to help spread smiles. Of course, Spread a Smile responded immediately, making it happen.

“For a patient like B, aged 22 but developmentally aged around 6/7, this was instrumental in helping to boost his mood from the day to day medical things that were happening to him. Spread a Smile brought magic and songs, cheer and joy into an adult hospital – something we hadn’t seen before.

“Fast forward to Christmas 2024 and Spread a Smile organised a special visit on Christmas Day for B on ITU! They brought an amazing gift hamper full of things he loved – Toy Story’s Buzz lightyear, football and stickers to name a few.

“B is not the only young person who has benefitted from the joy Spread a Smile brings. Our project sees patients up to the age of 24 – some want to sing, some might miss their dog at home and love meeting the Spread a Smile therapy dogs, some enjoy the tricks by the magicians.

“I can’t thank Spread a Smile enough for all they do and the joy I get from seeing the faces of patients, their families and the staff around them is truly amazing.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile is proud to be supporting young patients at The NHNN, helping to provide distraction and much needed moments of engagement and fun. We are looking forward to our visits, meeting even more patients, families and staff and spreading as many smiles as possible.”

Click here to find out more about our work with 36 NHS hospital and 6 hospice partners across the country.

Golf Days return in 2025

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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:

The Lion King a roaring success

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With January in full swing, Spread a Smile hosted another brilliant family outing last week to see The Lion King at London’s Lyceum Theatre!

16 families joined us for a lovely afternoon together, starting with a wonderful pre-show party, brimming with entertainment from our talented Spread a Smile entertainers.

Families were treated to magic, face painting, engaging arts and crafts activities and even a fairy sing a long! There were also plenty of delicious treats to enjoy, including pizza and the adorable animal cupcakes from Lola’s.

As usual, the performance itself was breathtaking and our guests enjoyed soaking up the magic and wonder of The Lion King. It certainly was a day filled with laughter, smiles, and a lot of singing.

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the incredible opportunity to attend The Lion King yesterday. Olivia and I had such a wonderful time—it was honestly magical and such a treat for both of us.

“Your organisation was seamless, and the little surprises were just lovely. Olivia was over the moon with her gift—it made her feel so special—and having a photo with the cast was such a perfect touch. She hasn’t stopped talking about it!

“It was so nice to just step away from everything for a while and enjoy such a vibrant, uplifting show together. Moments like this are so precious, and I’m so grateful to you for making it happen.

“Thank you for spreading so much joy and for creating memories we’ll treasure forever. You really made a difference to our day—and our week!” Izabella and Olivia

Spread a Smile organises regular outings and events for the families we support providing a chance for them to have fun and make memories together.

To find out more click here.

Sweet fundraising success

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As a charity, we rely on generous companies and individuals to fund our work and are grateful to all of our brilliant fundraisers who use their talents and energy to raise vital funds for our work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people.

Jess, aged 9 raised an incredible £236 for Spread a Smile after being introduced to the charity by her Dad, Shaun Simons.

Shaun told us, “Jess wanted to raise money to help others and came up with the fundraising idea herself, deciding that a sweet stall outside our home would be a fun and effective way to do it.

“I have been involved with Spread a Smile for a while as Chair of their Real Estate Committee and Jess has always admired the charity’s work. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the charity she wanted to support, knowing what an amazing cause it is.

“I’m immensely proud of the initiative Jess took and I hope it inspires other young people to think of creative ways to support good causes. She did everything herself, picking, packing and selling the sweets and it was a brilliant achievement.”

A huge thank you to Jess for all her hard work and support – you’re a superstar.

If Jess has inspired you, please get in touch with Rimi at rimi@spreadasmile.org to chat about your fundraising ideas and how we can support you.

Our 2023-24 Annual Report

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We are delighted to share our 2023/24 Annual Report with you.

We hope you enjoy reading about our achievements during this time, spreading smiles and joy to seriously ill children and their families and working closely with our NHS hospital and hospice partners.

Thank you for being part of the Spread a Smile family and for your ongoing support and commitment.

Click here to view the report.