Author: Lorraine

Earlier this week Graeme and Mark were back on the road to Leeds, delivering Milly Bags to Ward L31 along with a box of Journals for the Transplant Ward.

The team were met by Elaine, who as always had the biggest smile waiting for them. The bags were quickly unloaded and whisked straight onto the ward, ready to reach families who need them most.

It is always such a lovely visit to Leeds. We are consistently made to feel so welcome, and that kindness means more than we can say.

Elaine also shared several reviews with us today, and they truly warmed our hearts. We love receiving feedback because it validates what we do. It reminds us that each Milly Bag is more than just practical support. It is comfort. It is understanding. It is knowing someone cares at a time when families feel that their entire world has collapsed.

This delivery takes our total number of Milly Bags delivered to Leeds to 450. That represents an incredible £63,000 invested directly into supporting families facing childhood cancer in Leeds and the surrounding area.

To every single person who donates, fundraises, volunteers, or quietly champions our work behind the scenes, thank you. We are one big team. We simply could not do this without your belief in us and in what Milly’s Smiles stands for.

We are so proud to be making a difference to families every single day.

A few weeks ago we were contacted by Elite Competitions who asked if they could come and spend some time with us to learn more about Milly’s Smiles and the support we provide to families facing childhood cancer, as they were keen to promote us as part of the community work they do.

It was genuinely lovely to meet the whole team. They were so warm, interested and really wanted to understand what life looks like for families when a child is diagnosed, and how our support helps make a difference at a time when their entire world has collapsed.

Then, just as they were leaving, they completely surprised us with an incredible donation of £5,000. We honestly didn’t expect it and it meant such a lot to us.

Thank you Elite Competitions for your kindness, your time and your support. It will help us continue being there for families when they need it most.

Saddle up… the 3rd Annual Milly’s Smiles Danceathon is BACK and this year we’re trading glow sticks for cowboy boots!

We are going FULL COUNTRY HOEDOWN!

Saturday 9th May

1pm to 4pm

All Saints Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors, BB5 5HT

Expect 3 whole hours of boot-stompin’, hip-shakin’, yee-haw-level fun with an incredible line-up of instructors including Panache & Zumba plus our very special guest – Rodeo Duo!

No dance skills required. Just bring energy, laughter, and maybe a hat that’s larger than your personality.

Every step helps Milly’s Smiles continue making a difference at a time when families feel their whole world has collapsed.

To secure your place please contact Jess on: 07450 413166.

Tickets: £25 each.

This week we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming five lovely pupils from Oakhill School, who came along to help us pack Milly Bags.

They were all so polite, kind, and genuinely engaged in what they were doing, taking care with every bag packed. It was an absolute joy to have them with us.

Oakhill School have chosen Milly’s Smiles as one of their charities for the year, which feels especially close to our hearts as Milly herself was once a pupil at their nursery school (many years ago).

The school’s sponsored walk and hot chocolate stall at the recent firework display have already raised a significant amount of money for us, and we are so grateful for the support they have given.

They school are planning more activities, and we look forward to working with them to allow us to continue making a difference when a families entire world has collapsed.

Thank you so much to everyone at Oakhill School and Nursery.

Last year, Siemens Energy Manchester got in touch to ask if they could choose Milly’s Smiles as their Charity of the Year, following an incredibly difficult time for one of their colleagues and her family.

In November 2023, Lucy’s daughter, Evie, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and began a long and intense journey of treatment on Ward 86 at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital

During that time, we were able to support Lucy, Evie and their family, with a Milly bag, which made such a difference to the family, and knowing this means more than we can ever put into words.

Throughout 2025 the Siemens Energy team truly went above and beyond. Through walking 5K for Milly, setting up an elephant knitting team, taking on lots of different challenges, and even coming onto the unit to help pack Milly Bags, they raised an incredible £9,654.00 for Milly’s Smiles.

This support helps us make a difference at a time when families feel that their entire world has collapsed, and we are so incredibly grateful that they chose to support us in this way.

Thank you to everyone at Siemens Energy for your compassion, your time and your generosity. It really does mean so much. Every penny will go towards our work supporting families just like Evie’s.

We send our love to Evie and her family and wish her well with her ongoing treatment.

Today, Graeme and Mark made our very first delivery of 2026 to the wonderful team at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

They hand-delivered a further 20 Milly Bags, taking our total to an incredible 1,040 bags, representing £145,600 worth of support.

But more than numbers, that’s 1,040 families whose world changed forever when they heard the words “your child has cancer.”

In those moments when everything feels like it’s fallen apart, we are so humbled to be able to offer comfort, kindness and practical support.

We are incredibly grateful to be able to do this every single day, across a large part of the country.

A huge thank you to our brilliant delivery team who do an amazing job, often with very little notice.

And thank you to each and every one of you who continues to support us and donate, every single penny truly makes a difference.

Some journeys are taken with suitcases. Others are carried in the heart.

Growing up Milly had so many lovely friends, there were lots of people she cared about, but her best friend was always Izzy. They were best friends all the way through infant and junior school, growing up side by side and sharing lots of special moments.

This Thursday, Izzy heads off travelling for three months, visiting Dubai, Australia and Thailand. And I know, without a doubt, that if Milly were here, she would be going with her. Milly wanted to see the world. Australia was always a big dream of hers, especially the chance to swim with dolphins in the wild. Milly had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist and working with the beautiful creatures she loved so much.

Today, Izzy came to collect something very special to take with her on her travels. A little toy dog that Milly had when she was much younger. It came with a dolls house, but Milly loved playing “hide the dog” with me and her sister instead. We spent hours playing that game, and that little dog holds so many precious memories for us.

It means so much to me that Izzy is taking the dog with her. It feels like a part of Milly is going on this adventure too. And while I wish with all my heart that Milly was physically going with Izzy, I believe she is with her in her own way, wherever she goes.

Safe travels, Izzy.

In April 2023, in partnership with TeamLuke Foundation, our first 20 Milly Bags were delivered to Ward 4 at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

On the 23rd December, Team Luke returned to the ward with a further delivery, bringing the total number of Milly Bags donated to 80.

The day was especially poignant for Team Luke, as it marked seven years since Luke heartbreakingly passed away.

Every year, Luke’s family visit the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle, which is lit in Luke’s favourite colours of green and blue and is a beautiful tribute to Luke and his legacy.

As well as supporting Milly’s Smiles in Newcastle, Team Luke also fund vital research into neuroblastoma. Following a further donation their total contribution to The Institute of Cancer Research now stands at an incredible £100,000!

We are so proud to partner with this wonderful charity and feel especially grateful to be able support families admitted to Ward 4 at a time when their whole world has been turned upside down.

We send all our love to Luke’s family and thank you so much for working with us and helping us to make a difference every day.