Posts Tagged :

wellbeing

Mental Health Awareness Week

 1024 683 Hannah Myers
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This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re highlighting the importance of emotional wellbeing for seriously ill children and their families at Spread a Smile.

At Spread a Smile, supporting the emotional wellbeing of seriously ill children and their families is at the heart of everything we do. Alongside the medical treatment children are receiving, we believe emotional support, connection and moments of joy are just as important during some of the most challenging times families can face.

Serious illness can turn worlds upside down. Long hospital stays, intensive treatment and time away from home place enormous pressure on the wellbeing and mental health of children, young people and their families. Families are often separated from loved ones, daily routines and the experiences that make up a typical childhood, leading to feelings of isolation, uncertainty and emotional exhaustion.

Through our family-centred approach, Spread a Smile provides support during treatment and recovery. From in-person hospital visits that bring laughter, creativity and connection, to family events and outings that create precious shared memories, and virtual entertainer sessions that offer comfort wherever families are, we remain committed to being there whenever we are needed most.

The impact of this work is reflected in our latest impact report, with 100% of healthcare professionals saying Spread a Smile visits have a positive impact on patients’ mental health and wellbeing.*

Our 2026 Parent, Carer and Patient Survey also highlighted the difference these visits make:**

  • 100% of children and young people said a visit made them feel happy
  • 99% said our entertainer visits made their time in hospital better
  • 98% said the visit improved their child’s hospital experience
  • 100% said Spread a Smile brought joy to their child
  • 90% of parents and carers felt supported during visits
  • 93% said visits helped ease stress

Laura Walter, Director of Services at Spread a Smile, said, “At Spread a Smile, we see first-hand the emotional impact serious illness has on children, young people and their families. It can be isolating, exhausting and overwhelming as families adjust to a new way of living.

“Our family-centred approach supports wellbeing through in-person hospital visits bringing joy and connection, family events and outings creating time together as a family, and virtual sessions so families can access support wherever they are. We remain committed to supporting emotional wellbeing alongside medical care.”

One parent shared, “Spread a Smile is an amazing charity. Brightening up multiple hospital admissions we have had and also at home. Spread a Smile really does pick you up when you’re feeling the world is against you.”

Another said, “Spread a Smile has made such an incredible difference in my son’s life. When they arrive in hospital, everything changes — his face lights up with pure joy. For a while, the pain and worry fade away.”

Mila added, “Spread a Smile take a bleak day and fill it with so much colour… it has almost completely replaced the bleakness.”

Just £30 could help fund an entertainer visit to a seriously ill child at their hospital bedside.

Donate Now

* Collated from the Spread a Smile Healthcare Professional Survey 2024 

** Collated from the Spread a Smile Parent/Carer/Patient Survey 2026 

Parent Mental Health Day

 780 400 Gabrielle Devine
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Today, 30 January 2026 is Parent Mental Health Day, a day where we recognise the strength and courage of parents navigating life when their child is seriously ill.

When a child is unwell, parents and carers often place their own mental health and wellbeing second, focusing entirely on supporting their child through treatment, hospital stays and ongoing uncertainty.

At Spread a Smile, we support seriously ill children and their families across the country through a range of specialised services. Our in-person entertainer visits bring joy to children in hospital and also play an important role in supporting parents and siblings who are with them. Interactions with our entertainers bring laughter, distraction and shared experiences to everyone in the room, offering moments of relief from anxiety and the ongoing pressures families face.

Our family events are designed with the realities of caring for a seriously ill child in mind. We understand that financial pressures, accessibility issues and the uncertainty around a child’s health can make planning outings extremely difficult. By organising every aspect of an event – from theatre trips and cinema visits to lunches and afternoon teas – we remove some of that burden. These events provide families with the opportunity to spend time together in a safe, welcoming environment, while parents and carers are given space to pause, feel supported, and connect with other families in similar situations.

With the wellbeing and mental health of parents and carers at the forefront, we also offer dedicated parent pamper days in NHS hospitals including Great Ormond Street Hospital, the UK’s largest specialist children’s hospital, St Mary’s Hospital, St George’s Hospital, and Evelina London Children’s Hospital. These pamper days are aimed at supporting parents and carers with children who are spending extended periods of time in hospital, providing everything from massage and aromatherapy to nail treatments and hair styling. These sessions give parents time for themselves, providing respite, moments for self-care and a sense of normality during exceptionally challenging times.

Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of parents of seriously ill children is an important part of Spread a Smile’s work and we are committed to continuing to provide opportunities for care, relief and support for parents when they need it most.

Please click here to find out more about how Spread a Smile supports parents and carers.

International Day of Play 2025

 780 400 Susie
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On Wednesday 11 June we celebrated the second ever International Day of Play – a global initiative aimed at promoting the essential role of play in children’s lives and recognised by the United Nations.

The day is a reminder that all children have a right to play. That it is crucial for physical, social and emotional development and wellbeing and an essential part of childhood. At Spread a Smile, we aim to help bring the benefits of play to children and young people in hospital, at a time, when it might be more difficult to access and they are feeling most isolated and vulnerable.

This year, our entertainers joined forces with our friends from Hasbro to visit children and young people at some of our NHS hospital partners, including Evelina London Children’s Hospital and St George’s Hospital in Tooting. We welcomed young patients from the wards to join us for creative play sessions in communal playrooms, with board games, Play-Doh, magic, music, singing and more. We also visited the bedsides of children who were not able to leave their rooms, making sure as many children as possible could access the fun.

Laura Walter, Director of Services for Spread a Smile said, “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Hasbro again to bring the joy and creativity of play to children in hospital. The theme this year is ‘Choose play – every day and this is something that helps drive everything we do, prioritising play and fun even in the most difficult of circumstances.”

Thank you to Hasbro for kindly donating the toys and gifts for this year’s events and to their wonderful volunteers for joining us on our visits to hospital. We were also delighted to join Hasbro at their Head office to celebrate International Day of Play in style.

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