Boosting Kids’ Wellbeing: Charity Advocates for More Play in Hospitals
- Accessing play in the hospital is key for children, as it enhances well-being and minimizes trauma
- Despite this, only 29% of children in the hospital were offered toys to play with and less than 1 in 10 (9%) had a visit from an entertainer
- In 2024 – 2025 Spread a Smile aims to increase its number of NHS hospital and hospice partners to 45, delivering 13,200 in-person hospital bedside visits and over 2,640 virtual visits, reaching and supporting thousands of seriously ill young people and their families
Charity, Spread a Smile brings joy and laughter to seriously ill children in NHS hospitals and hospices across the country.
Through in-person and virtual visits and events, their entertainers – from magicians to musicians, artists, fairies, and therapy dogs – enhance well-being and help young patients cope with the pain and anxiety of serious illness and hospitalization.
Today they have released new data which surveyed 1,384 UK parents, asking them whether playing in the hospital helps make their stay or visit to the hospital less frightening.
Nearly half (49%) of parents whose child had received play in the hospital said recreational activities have helped to distract their child.
Yet, despite this, only 29% of children admitted to hospital were offered toys to play with and less than 1 in 10 (9%) had a visit from an entertainer.
Last month, the charity celebrated its 11th birthday, having been founded in 2013 by Josephine Segal MBE and Vanessa Crocker MBE, after seeing the positive impact a magician’s visit had on Josephine’s young nephew, Aaron, during his treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Today, Spread a Smile works in partnership with 32 NHS hospitals and four hospice partners, including St Mary’s Hospital, London.
The charity is continuing to expand its support across the UK. In 2023-24, they delivered over 12,000 in-person bedside visits and over 2,000 virtual visits, in partnership with 32 hospitals and four hospice partners.
In 2024 – 2025 Spread a Smile aims to increase their number of NHS hospital and hospice partners to 45, delivering 13,200 in-person hospital bedside visits and over 2,640 virtual visits, reaching and supporting thousands of seriously ill young people and their families. This includes plans for regional growth with the charity starting in-person visits to the Northwest of England. To do this, the charity relies on generous support from individuals and organizations to carry out its work. This year 9 runners took on the TCS London Marathon in aid of Spread a Smile raising over £30,000.
CASE STUDY COMMENTARY
Anita, mother of Folakemi:
“Folakemi’s condition is life-limiting and as she grows, we just don’t know what will happen as her body finds it difficult to get enough oxygen around. So, the online sessions give her something really happy to do. Folakemi now does guitar lessons with Andy and Kiri every other Monday and she absolutely loves them. They make them so interactive and accessible for her and take it at her speed.
“She also does a weekly art session together with her sister which is really lovely. Spread a Smile sends out the arts and crafts pack to us in advance and the children love getting stuck in. It means a lot to watch my daughters being happy, doing something they love and interacting with other people, just like other children.
“The Spread Smile sessions are so valuable to Folakemi as they belong to HER. They are about her, and no one can take them away from her. Folakemi loves everyone at Spread a Smile and has said that she would love for someone like Kiri to be with her all the time as she is always smiling and singing”.
FULL CASE STUDY INFORMATION
Folakemi
At age one, Folakemi was diagnosed with a large hole in her heart (VSD) and transposition of the great arteries, a serious heart defect where the two main blood vessels leaving the heart are swapped. This resulted in irreversible damage to her lungs, causing difficulties with mobility and breathing and considerably reducing her life expectancy.
The family was told that Folakemi would receive palliative care and she was also referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Although Folakemi’s heart could not be fully repaired, she underwent successful surgery to switch the arteries and is still monitored every three months at GOSH to check that she remains stable. It was during one of these appointments, when Folakemi was 7, that the family first met Spread a Smile.
HOSPITALS THAT SPREAD A SMILE CURRENTLY SUPPORTS
Barnet Hospital*
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital*
Croydon University Hospital*
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH)*
Epsom Hospital*
The Evelina Children’s Hospital*
Helen & Douglas House
King’s College Hospital*
Kingston Hospital*
Newham Hospital*
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
North Middlesex University Hospital*
Northwick Park Hospital*
Princess Alexandra Hospital*
Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children*
The Royal Brompton Hospital*
The Royal London Hospital*
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital*
St George’s Hospital*
St Mary’s Hospital*
The Royal Marsden Hospital*
University College Hospital (UCLH)*
Watford General Hospital*
West Middlesex University Hospital*
Whipps Cross Hospital*
The Whittington Hospital*
NHS South East
Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice*
Demelza Hospice Care for Children*
Southampton Children’s Hospital
William Harvey Hospital, Ashford*
NHS Midlands
Leicester Children’s Hospital
Nottingham Children’s Hospital
NHS South West
Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
NHS East of England
Addenbrookes Children’s Hospital, Cambridge
NHS North West
Christie Hospital, Manchester
NHS Wales
Wrexham Maelor Hospital
* Indicates regular in-person hospital visits