Posts Tagged :

spread a smile

The Wandering Barber’s rickshaw challenge

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At the end of November, David Jamali aka ‘The Wandering Barber’ took on an incredible fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile and HoH Charitable Trust (Hand on Heart), travelling 3000km across India in a rickshaw.

David raised over £4,000 in the process saying, “This journey is not just about the adventure; it’s about making a difference. I am raising funds for two remarkable charities which are close to my heart, and I have had the privilege of supporting them through my work as a barber.

“Spread a Smile do incredible work bringing joy and laughter to seriously ill children and their families during some of their darkest times. They organise visits from entertainers, therapy dogs, and even magicians to hospitals and hospices, creating precious moments of happiness. I have had the honour of cutting hair for terminally ill children, witnessing firsthand the positive impact of Spread a Smile’s efforts.”

As a charity that relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to carry out its work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people, everyone at Spread a Smile is extremely grateful to David for his efforts and support.

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive said, “David really has gone that extra mile through his fundraising efforts, taking on a brilliant and inspiring challenge. We can’t thank him enough for his support.”

If you would like to find out more about taking on a fundraising challenge for Spread a Smile, please email the team at fundraising@spreadasmile.org or visit our fundraising pages here.

Welcome to Kuljeet de Souza

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We are delighted to welcome Kuljeet de Souza, the newest member of the Spread a Smile family.

Kuljeet joins us from Grief Encounter as our Trusts and Foundations Manager, helping to drive and nurture support in this important area of fundraising.

Kuljeet said, “I have worked in the charity sector for 20 years in a variety of organisations and roles including YouthNet, The Children’s Society and most recently, as Trusts and Grants Manager for Grief Encounter.

“I have always been passionate about working for charities that support children and young people, so I was delighted when the role of Trusts and Foundations Manager came up at Spread a Smile. I’m looking forward to developing new and existing relationships and helping to raise much needed funds to ensure the charity can continue to deliver our vital services to those most in need.

“I’m excited to join an organisation that makes such a big difference to the lives of children and families. The team has been so welcoming and is 100% committed to the work they do, and that’s reflected in the wonderful impact the charity has.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive said, “Support from Trusts and Foundations is key to Spread a Smile as we develop and grow to meet our long-term strategic aims and objectives. We’re delighted to welcome Kuljeet to the team. I’m very much looking forward to working with her to continue building a meaningful and impactful fundraising programme in Trusts and Foundations.”

Ari and George’s films win prestigious award

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We’re winners! Last night Spread a Smile and film maker Jules’ Creative Content won the award ‘Film: Best Use of a Smaller Budget category’ at the 2024 EVCOM London Film Awards.

The prestigious annual awards are run by EVCOM (Event and Visual Communication Association) and recognise excellence in both craft and communications, celebrating the best creative work in film.

Spread a Smile’s win is for two incredible films – George’s Story and Ari’s Story – created for us by Jules Sander. They follow the stories of George and his family and Ari and her family, from diagnosis through to treatment and meeting Spread a Smile.

Spread a Smile’s Co-Founders Josephine Segal and Vanessa Crocker, along with Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson attended the awards at a glittering ceremony at Plaisterers’ Hall, London on Thursday 28 November with Lucy saying, “Being able to share, via film, the difference our work makes to the children and families we support means a huge amount to us, and we can’t thank the Anstey and Radcliffe families enough for allowing us to tell their stories. A huge thank you to Jules (Jules’ Creative Content) for bringing such creativity, understanding and passion to the table when producing the films. Thank you to EVCOM for shortlisting us and thereby helping to raise awareness about Spread a Smile and our work bringing a little bit of joy and happiness when it’s most needed. It really is an honour to see our wonderful films recognised in this way and we are proud to be the recipient of this prestigious award.”

Please take a moment to watch George’s Story (below) and Ari’s Story on our YouTube channel. Please share far and wide and if you are able to make a donation to help ensure we can continue to be there for families like these during the darkest of days, we would be extremely grateful, thank you.

New hospital partner – St Peter’s Hospital

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Spread a Smile announces its latest hospital partner, St Peter’s Hospital, a district general hospital in Chertsey, Surrey and part of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH). Originally built to serve casualties of the Second World War, today the hospital cares for people across the surrounding area including Woking, Weybridge, Chertsey, Staines and Walton on Thames. 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. St Peter’s Hospital joins 34 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 in hospital through regular in-person visits to the hospital. Every month the team will visit children across paediatric inpatient wards including the Children’s Paediatric Oncology Shared Care Units (POSCUs), sharing their talents and bringing moments of fun and distractions when they are needed most.

In addition, patients and their families will be able to access weekly virtual group activity sessions, including art clubs, magic, storytelling. Plus, they will be able to join in with special seasonally themed virtual activity days during school holidays and benefit from regular treat drops to the hospital. 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.

Izabela Wakula, Play Specialist at St Peter’s Hospital, said: “So far, we have had two visits from Spread a Smile, and what visits they have been! Fairy Betty makes sure there is something exciting for every patient – maybe their favourite songs to sing and join in with, some tricks and tasks or mesmerising bubbles. Then there’s the magician who makes us all go ‘Wow!’ with his tricks. Musician Rosie can play any song suggested, from nursery rhymes the latest radio hits. Some of our patients could not wait for their turn and were calling out from afar that they wanted to be seen next. 

“There have been lots of giggles, smiles, laughter and singing. Grown-ups have joined in too, with parents singing and staff humming. But most of all, children of all ages have had time and space to have fun and be children again, even though they might have been poorly and in hospital that day. Thank you, Spread a Smile team for bringing a little magic to our hospital.” 

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added, “Spread a Smile is proud to be working in partnership with ASPH to support the brilliant team at St Peter’s Hospital. Together we’ll be spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people receiving treatment at the hospital, providing distraction and much needed moments of engagement and fun. We are looking forward to our visits and what lies ahead.”

Kisharon Langdon support for Mitzvah Day

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Mitzvah Day is a day of faith-based social action in November, when communities and individuals undertake a range of volunteering projects to help others.

This year, Kisharon Langdon, a charity which supports people within the Jewish learning disability and autism community, came together to help Spread a Smile bring a little joy and happiness to seriously ill children and young people.

On 24 November, their youth group which supports young people with learning disabilities, met with adults also supported by the charity at their centre in Edgware, to wrap and pack donated gifts to be included in our Smile Hampers.

The group learnt about the importance of inclusion and reaching out to others and met Spread a Smile Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson and Co-Founder, Josephine Segal who spoke about the work we do and the difference the group are helping to make to the families we support.

Lucy said, “Mitzvah Day is a very special day in the Jewish calendar and one which sees people spending time together to do something good for others. We were delighted to receive support from Kisharon Langdon and so grateful for all their efforts to help us spread smiles to children spending time in hospital, managing treatment plans and illness. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

To find out more about supporting Spread a Smile, please email fundraising@spreadasmile.org

 

5th Comedy Night success

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On Monday 4 November we returned to The Comedy Store, London for the Spread a Smile 5th stand-up Comedy Night to help raise vital funds for seriously ill children and their families.

Generously sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors and Texel Foundation and hosted and curated by Spread a Smile Ambassador Suzi Ruffell, the event was a huge success with much laughter in the room.

Guests were treated to brilliant performances from Chantel Nash, Jack Skipper, Ania Magliano, Tom Allen and also Nish Kumar who kindly stepped in for Angela Barnes. The Military Mindreader Richard Jones, another Spread a Smile Ambassador, also joined us to showcase his talents with a special guest appearance.

So far over £100,000 has been raised through our Comedy Nights and we can’t thank Suzi, our sponsors, The Comedy Store, our performers and everyone who joined us enough for their support.

Take a look at our gallery here and don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our 2025 Comedy Nights or click here to find out more about some of our other events.

Our first Tech Dinner

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Spread a Smile was delighted to host its first ever Tech Dinner earlier this month at Uncommon, Holborn, welcoming 40 guests from across the world of tech for an evening of networking, information sharing and entertainment. The event was an opportunity to welcome existing and new supporters to learn more about the work of Spread a Smile.

Dan Philps, Head of Rothko Investment Strategies and artificial intelligence (AI) researcher, joined us to deliver a fascinating talk about AI. Spread a Smile Chief Executive, Lucy Jackson spoke about the charity and our vital work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people across the country. And our entertainer, Magic Nick, showcased the work and talents of the charity, wowing the room with his magic skills.

Lucy said, “It was a pleasure to welcome guests to our first ever Tech Dinner. As a charity, we rely on the generous support of individuals and companies to continue our work spreading smiles, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to meet and engage with such a great group of people.

“Thank you to Dan Philps for giving up his time and expertise, plus to Spread a Smile’s Business Committee Chair, Rob Threadgold and an extra big thank you to Inetum’s Mike Glock, whose generous sponsorship made this event possible. Also, to everyone who joined us and kindly supported the event, helping to make it such a success.”

Mike Glock said, “It was great to see the Tech community coming together to support  such a great cause. Huge thanks to Uncommon, Magic Nick and especially to Dan for such an insightful talk on the hot topic of today.”

To find out more about our industry led events and sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to our Partnerships Manager, Lucy Keith. Thank you.

Introducing our new Young Ambassadors

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Spread a Smile is delighted to introduce our first volunteer Young Ambassadors, Aaron Maurice and Varun Shradhanand Mahatme.

Both Young Ambassadors share personal connections with the charity. Spread a Smile was founded 11 years ago by Aaron’s aunt, Josephine Segal and her friend, Vanessa Crocker, after he spent five long months having gruelling cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital. It was after Josephine surprised Aaron with a magician that she realised the impact entertainment in hospital had, seeing Aaron smiling and laughing again. Josephine made a promise to Aaron that she would arrange more magicians and entertainers to see more children in hospital.

Of his new role, Aaron said “Spread a Smile means a huge amount to me as I have watched the charity grow from an idea to an award-winning organisation, run by a team of extremely special and talented people. My motivation to engage with Spread a Smile is simple, I want to help make a positive impact on children who are suffering from illnesses that no one, let alone a child, should have to experience. Through working as an Ambassador, I hope to spread awareness of Spread a Smile wherever I can. I’m looking forward to organising and helping run events, volunteering and supporting in any way possible.”

Varun also has a personal journey with Spread a Smile. He spent several months in hospital in London when he was 11 years old, having treatment for stage 4 Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, which was in his spine. Varun was far from home, friends and family when he began his treatment and was supported throughout his treatment journey by Spread a Smile.

Varun said, “I was just 11 years old when I was diagnosed with cancer and the reality of my situation really hit me hard. On my first night on the ward whilst awaiting my chemotherapy, I listened to the doctors trying to resuscitate a little girl who had an unexpected cardiac arrest. She sadly passed away and this left me overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. It was all I could think about. It was at this time that Spread a Smile had started visiting my hospital ward and this is when I met the Spread a Smile team. I was fortunate enough to experience first-hand how they help children momentarily forget their struggles. They brought light into my and my family’s darkest moments with loads of joy and laughter, transforming mindsets by providing a much-needed escape from my challenging reality.  I can’t wait to begin my Young Ambassador role and supporting the crucial work that they do.”

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile’s Chief Executive said of the new Young Ambassadors, “I can’t think of two people better suited to become Young Ambassadors for Spread a Smile, I am so honoured that both have agreed to take on this role.

“Aaron is ultimately the reason the charity exists and he continues to inspire the whole team every single day. It was a privilege for us to support Varun and his family through his treatment in the early days of Spread a Smile and it’s wonderful that we are all still in contact.

“I believe we’ve found our Future Leaders. By involving young people in our activities, we can cultivate the next generation of leaders and supporters, ensuring long-term sustainability and continuity. Early involvement in our work can foster a lifelong commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility among young people too and we couldn’t be more delighted to have two very talented Ambassadors to kick start these roles for us.  I really look forward to working with them both.”

Please join us in welcoming Aaron and Varun to the Spread a Smile team.

Play in Healthcare Week 2024

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Play in Healthcare Week (PIHW – formerly known as Play in Hospital Week) is a very special week which aims to raise awareness of the benefits and importance of play in healthcare settings.

Play is an essential part of childhood and is at the very heart of mental, social and emotional growth and well-being. It is important that play continues to be part of a child’s life, even when they are admitted to hospital – a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

For PIHW 2024 (14-18 October), Spread a Smile once again went all out to make the week even more special than ever before, spreading smiles far and wide to seriously ill children and young people through play.

A record number of in-person visits…

We carried out 30 in person visits to 22 different healthcare settings, reaching hundreds of children and young people – more than ever before! Our entertainers were out in force supporting Play Specialist teams to celebrate this important week by spreading smiles through singing, music, magic, art and much more.

Special trips to Nottingham and Bristol

We enjoyed two lovely days visiting patients at Nottingham Children’s Hospital and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, spreading smiles far and wide,

In conversation with Dr Fiona Hikmet

Dr Fiona Hikmet, Consultant Paediatrician at Princess Alexandra Hospital and Spread a Smile Trustee, kicked off the week with a blog article talking about her experiences of play in hospital and why the work of Spread a Smile is so important.

Anna’s Animals and UCLH

We were delighted to welcome our friends from Anna’s Animals for a special visit to children on the wards at University College Hospital (UCLH). Everyone loved meeting and playing with the animals which provided much needed distraction.

Mila case story          

Mila kindly shared her experiences of Spread a Smile with us, writing a beautiful piece about how the charity helped her through her treatment for cancer.

Play focused virtual visits…

We also ran numerous virtual group sessions focusing on play based activities for patients and siblings of all ages. These included two LEGO play workshops, interactive storytelling, magic with Makaton, magic with puppetry workshop, a play themed art group, fairy fun, games and more.

Our aim is to help distract, relieve fear and stress and create a safe, welcoming environment during treatment and hospital admissions.

We are so proud of our achievements for PIHW 2024 and would like to say a huge thank you to our Spread a Smile Entertainers, the hospital play teams, Anna’s Animals, our friends from the LEGO Group and everyone who has helped make it so special.

To donate to help ensure we can continue our vital work, please click here.

Comedy Night line-up announced

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Announcing our brilliant line-up for the Spread a Smile Comedy Night on Monday 4 November at The Comedy Store, London.

Our incredible Ambassador Suzi Ruffell will be joined by the amazing Tom Allen, Angela Barnes, Chantel Nash, Jack Skipper and Ania Magliano for what looks set to be another amazing evening of stand-up comedy.

Sponsored by Canary Wharf Contractors and Texel Foundation, our annual Comedy Night is always a night to remember and this year there will also be a special appearance from former BGT winner, the military mind reader Richard Jones.

Tickets are on sale now for £28 each!

A huge thank you to Suzi for generously giving up her time and curating such a wonderful initiative. All proceeds will support Spread a Smile’s work spreading joy and laughter to seriously ill children in hospitals across the UK.

“As a Spread a Smile Ambassador, I’m proud to do what I can to support the charity’s brilliant work spreading smiles to seriously ill children and young people and I’ve seen first hand the difference they make. I’m excited to be hosting another exciting Comedy Night at The Comedy Store to help raise vital funds to support Spread a Smile’s work. I’ll once again be joined by some legends of comedy to spread some smiles and raise as much as possible on the night for a very worthwhile cause. We hope you’ll join us!” Suzi Ruffell

Find out more about all of our fundraising and challenge events here.