October 2019
Hello and welcome to October’s newsletter. Hope you have had the best month possible.
Updates
Excited to announce that we have been working behind the scenes to upgrade our registration and on the 11th October 2019 Smile For ME became Registered Charity Number 1185760. Thank you so much for all your support over the last 7 years in making this possible. We are looking forward to continuing to send Smiles to ME sufferers and their carers ?
Smiles
6 personalised presents, which we call Smiles, were posted this month to both ME sufferers and their carers. The Smiles we send are always individually chosen with each person’s likes and interests in mind and lovingly wrapped with a bow to create a smile. Some of the items included this month were puzzles, ornaments, blankets, cushions, art supplies, socks, make up and chocolate.
“Dear smile for ME,
My son Joe has been having a particularly tough time of it lately. He keeps trying his hardest with school but can’t manage to get through a whole week yet. This week, It was his birthday on Monday and went to school. Tuesday got sent home due to his ME symptoms becoming too overwhelming and has been bed bound most of today so you ‘smile’ you sent him couldn’t have come at a better time! THANK YOU. Although I tell him every day, I’m his mum so he knows he has my boundless love and respect but to have gifts from you really reiterated how brave, strong and special he really is and just how incredible he is for fighting for a life every day.
I’ve not seen him smile like this in a long time.
He’s absolutely over the moon with your kind gifts and called out ‘THANK YOU SMILE FOR ME!!’
Smile for ME, you’ve made a 13 year old boy feel valued, happy and loved thank you ??? (please share this to your page xx)”
Smile of the month
Each month we ask on social media what has made you smile? We love hearing the responses and hope by sharing some of your smiles it can help others to find a smile too.
Fundraising
Spoonie Survival Kits, run by Pippa who won the 2019 Best Chronic Illness Blog award last month, fundraised for us last year and they are kindly doing so again. From October-December 50% of all sales money is going to be shared between Smile For ME and Project Parent. Spoonie Survival Kits are little bags of happiness for chronic illness sufferers which are available to buy through their website and Etsy page. They are bespoke kits tailored to specific conditions and symptoms with each item having a thoughtful meaning behind it making them special for chronic illness sufferers.
For the festive period coming up Spoonie Survival Kits created a bespoke Spoonie Advent Calendar with items chosen with chronically ill people in mind and are by chronically ill crafters and entrepreneurs. They sold out within the first hour and a half of being on sale so a big well done and thank you to Pippa and all those who supported.
Thank you SSK for your support! www.spooniesurvivalkits.com
Thank you’s
Thank you to all those who have donated and supported us this month. Your kindness enables us to continue to send Smiles so it means such a lot to us.
A special thank you to Natasha for your kind support and generous donation.
A big thank you and well done to Andy who completed the Great South Run for his Mum raising an amazing £333.75 for us. If you would like to donate to his fundraising page you can still do so here. 