Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust partners with Spread a Smile

Spread a Smile today announces its latest hospital partner, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust based in Liverpool, spreading smiles across its children’s wards.

As one of Europe’s largest children’s hospitals, Alder Hey treat everything from common illnesses to highly complex and specialist conditions, and those children being treated, along with their families, are invited to join the Spread a Smile family and benefit from their 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. Alder Hey joins 38 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.

The Spread a Smile team of talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend quality time with patients in hospital through one-to-one visits and group sessions. Patients and their families will also be able to access virtual online events and activity sessions, including art clubs, balloon modelling, music lessons and more, enabling the charity to see and support as many people as possible. All with the aim of spreading hundreds of smiles and a lot of happiness to children undergoing treatment for serious illness and their families.

Children at Alder Hey will be able to join special themed virtual activity days celebrating seasonal occasions such as Christmas, benefit from regular treat drops and entertainer visits scheduled throughout the year, all giving seriously ill children and their families the opportunity to join in with fun and exciting experiences that they may otherwise not have access to.

Justine Louise Makin, Play Service Manager, Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We would like to say a huge thank you to ‘Spread a Smile’ for the wonderful input we have received from the charity, so far. The kind and generous donations have been invaluable in providing our CYPF with fun and joy during their stay in hospital. Being in hospital is difficult at any time, therefore receiving the amazing toys, activities, materials and equipment that ‘Spread a Smile’ provide, has really put a smile on their faces and helped toward recovery, recuperation and rehabilitation.” 

Lucy Jackson, Spread a Smile Chief Executive added:

“Spread a Smile’s partnership with Alder Hey Specialist Children’s Hospital is an opportunity for us to reach and support even more seriously ill children and young people in different parts of the country. We are delighted to be working together to develop a meaningful and impactful relationship which will support the great work carried out by the Alder Hey ward staff and Play Team and help to spread smiles when they are needed most.” 

To find out more about Spread a Smile, check out their website

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