St Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey has become the latest hospital partner for Spread a Smile, whose 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.

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.

St Peter’s joins 34 major and specialist NHS hospitals and six hospice partners already supported by Spread a Smile.

The Spread a Smile team of highly talented entertainers, including musicians, artists, magicians and therapy dogs, will spend time with patients in hospital through regular in-person visits.

Every month the team will visit children across paediatric in-patient 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.

Patients and their families will also be able to access weekly virtual group activity sessions, including art clubs, magic and storytelling, and 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.

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 to the latest 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 work with and 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.”

Spread a Smile, which was founded in 2013, is aiming to deliver more than 13,200 in-person bedside visits and over 2,640 virtual visits during 2024-25 in partnership with 34 NHS hospitals and six hospices.

It also has plans to increase the number of its partners to 45 in the coming year.