Category: News

Earlier this month, Belthorn Academy Primary School went all out to support Milly’s Smiles with their very own Go Gold Day for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The children learned all about our Milly Bags during a special assembly, where our fabulous young supporter Evelyn shared a brilliant video explaining the contents of the bag and why they are so important. We are so proud of Evelyn and the time she gave to help others understand our work.

A very special moment came when one of Belthorn’s pupils, Imana, bravely stood up to share her own story. Imana received a Milly Bag a few years ago, and she proudly showed off her elephant and water bottle to everyone in assembly. We are so happy to say that Iman is doing really well.

Staff and pupils also brought in an amazing collection of toiletries for us, which will soon be packed into our next batch of Milly Bags.

Everyone looked fantastic in gold, we loved seeing all of the photographs from the day. .

A heartfelt thank you to Mr Carr for organising the day, to his daughter Evelyn for her incredible support, and to Imana for sharing her journey with such courage. Belthorn, you are all shining bright for Milly’s Smiles.

On Milly’s 10th anniversary, we asked if you would join us in remembering her by walking, running, or cycling 5K. Lots of you registered with us and on the day, despite the rain absolutely pouring down, you came out in force, and we were totally overwhelmed by the love and support shown for Milly.

From park runs to work runs, family walks to holiday swims, people took part all across the country (and even further afield!). We had families who have received Milly Bags join in by running their local park run, which absolutely meant so much to us.

Seeing everyone’s photos, smiles, soggy trainers and big hearts reminded us once again of the impact Milly’s life continues to have.

Thank you to everyone who braved the weather, who remembered Milly, and who stood with us on such a special day, you are all truly incredible people.

during September, and as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we shared “30 Days of Being an Oncology Mum”. an honest, heartfelt look at life during and after Milly’s diagnosis.

Each day, we shared a truth from our journey, from those first terrifying days in hospital, to the incredible support of play leaders, teachers and charities, to the reality of treatment, siblings, and sadly, bereavement.

Some days were deeply painful to write, others reminded us of the small moments of joy Milly brought even in the darkest times.

The campaign reached thousands of people and sparked conversations about childhood cancer, a subject that is often hidden, but one that so many families live with every single day.

We talked about:

• The shock of diagnosis and the collapse of family life as you knew it
• The roles of doctors, nurses, play leaders, teachers, and volunteers
• The impact on parents, siblings, and extended family
• The importance of charities and community support
• The heartbreaking truth that not every child survives
• And the enduring legacy of Milly, whose light continues through Milly’s Smiles.

We are proud to have shared these 30 truths. Our hope was to raise awareness, encourage understanding, and give a voice to families like ours. The feedback has been incredible, so many people told us how much it opened their eyes, touched their hearts, and helped them better understand what families face.

This campaign was not easy. Reliving each moment was painful, but it was also healing. And most importantly, it ensured that Milly’s story continues to be told, and that families facing childhood cancer are seen and heard.

This is why we do what we do. This is Milly’s legacy. This is her smile, still shining.

A huge thank you to our friends at Cranberry Coachways, who dedicated their weekend at the recent Transport Event in Great Harwood to raising money for Milly’s Smiles.

The team worked so hard running a raffle, “Guess the Name of the Bear,” and a tombola, and together they raised an incredible £396.00 !

We are so grateful for the amazing support and kindness shown by Cranberry Coachways, and we’re proud to be part of such a generous community. We can’t wait to continue working with them in the future.

From the bottom of our hearts, a massive thank you to everyone who supported them and to the team for working so hard for us.

Last week we delivered another batch of Milly Bags to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where we were warmly met by Louise, the ward housekeeper, who helped us take the bags up to the ward.

This delivery takes us past a very special milestone, Alder Hey has now received 510 Milly Bags since we began working with them. That’s 510 families who’ve arrived on the ward on one of the hardest days of their lives and been met with a Milly Bag offering comfort, understanding and love.

Behind every number is a child, a family, a story. And thanks to your support, each of those families has felt the impact of Milly’s Smiles at the moment their world changed forever.

#MillysSmiles #MillyBags #ChildhoodCancerAwareness

Cadets on the Move for Milly’s Smiles

Back in August, the Lancashire Volunteer Police Cadets from the Pendle Unit laced up their walking boots and took on a 10-mile sponsored walk. Setting off from Burnley Enterprise Park, they followed the canal all the way to Cut Lane in Rishton, a route filled with laughter, teamwork, and an odd blisters along the way!

Their determination and energy paid off in the best way, raising an incredible £645 (with more still to come in!) for Milly’s Smiles. Every penny will go towards supporting families on the toughest of journeys, making a difference at the very moment their world has been turned upside down.

A huge thank you to the cadets for their amazing effort, and to everyone who supported them.

Sometimes, the smaller things are the ones that mean the most….

Back in August, Graeme and our young volunteer Ben delivered 20 Milly Bags to Ward 86 at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Our bags are so much more than just the items inside, they offer a hug and an awareness for parents that someone understands exactly what they are going through, a reminder to families that they are not alone.

This delivery was extra special as Ben, who has volunteered at our annual Spring Fairs, joined Graeme on the journey. From loading the van to making sure every single bag reached the ward safely, he was an absolute superstar.

A huge thank you to Graeme, Ben, and to every single person who supports us in so many ways, donating, volunteering, attending our events, or sharing our posts.

Because of you all we are able to continue making a difference every single day.

We were absolutely thrilled to have young volunteer, Ben join forces with Graeme this summer to help with our Milly Bag deliveries. Ben made the journey across the Pennines to Leeds Children’s Hospital, where the wonderful Elaine was there to welcome them and receive the bags on behalf of the children’s oncology wards.

It’s been such a joy having Ben’s support on our deliveries, his kindness and enthusiasm has really shone through and we feel very lucky to have had his help.

Every Milly Bag that we provide is a reminder to families that they are not alone, and that someone is thinking about them and sending love and support every single day.

Thank you, as always, to each and every one of you who makes this possible. Your support allows us to make a massive difference every single day.

Today we want to give a huge shout out to of a group of dedicated ladies who have been working together for many years to support women with physical and learning disabilities. Over time, they have become a close-knit family at Edgar Street Residential Home.

In November, their world was rocked when their colleague Charlotte’s 5-year-old son, Salahman, was diagnosed with Leukaemia. This news was absolutely devastating for the Khan family, and it has been heartbreaking for the Edgar Street family as well. Whilst they have done their best to offer support, they realised that there was so much more that they wanted to do, but they felt very limited in what they could provide.

That’s when they decided to take action! So recently a very brave team of 6 arrived at the Black Knights Skydiving Centre. They were joined by a group of fabulous supporters, all ready to cheer them on. The weather was perfect for jumping out of a plane, and we are thrilled to say every single one of them successfully completed their skydive, jumping from a whopping 15,000 feet!

As well as making this jump the team wanted to use the opportunity to raise money for Milly’s Smiles as they knew all about the support we provided, when Salahman was first diagnosed.

A huge thank you to everyone who jumped from the skies, to the people who have supported them along the way and to everyone who has donated. We are humbled by such incredible support, it really does mean the world to us.

#MillysSmiles #SkyDiveForSalahman #EdgarStreetFamily #ChildhoodCancerAwareness #SupportAndStrength

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We want to say a massive thank you to the incredible team at Siemens Newcastle, who organised a sponsored walk on 11th July to raise funds for Milly’s Smiles.

The walk was held in support of a colleague whose little boy has recently been diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, and the family received a Milly Bag after they were admitted onto Ward 4 at The Great North Children’s Hospital. His parents asked for any donations to go to Milly’s Smiles, and we are so humbled by their kindness during such a difficult time.

The work we do with Ward 4 is supported by the amazing charity TeamLuke Foundation. The wonderful team at Team Luke keep on top of our bags and make sure the ward is always stocked up ready to support all new admissions.

Thank you to Siemens Newcastle who have already raised an incredible £4,128, every penny of which will go towards supporting families during those first frightening days of a hospital stay

#MillysSmiles #ThankYou #SiemensNewcastle #ChildhoodCancerAwareness #SponsoredWalk #Hepatoblastoma #FundraisingHeroes