The Once Upon a Smile Celebrity Team is back for one game only this April-taking on the Wythenshawe Vets Team for the families of Isaac and Ellis. 💛⚽

The Wythenshawe Vets are a squad of retired professional footballers including Papiss Cissé, Danny Drinkwater, Stephen Ireland and Emile Heskey, to name just a few.

Co-Captains and Charity Founders Danny Miller and Daniel Jillings are pulling together a fantastic team of celebrity friends, football pals, and influencers to go head-to-head with the vets, all in great spirit while raising vital funds for Once Upon a Smile in our 15th year of supporting bereaved children and families.

Confirmed so far for the Once Upon a Smile team include:

Emmerdale’s, Joe-Warrant Plant, Jay Kontzle and James Hooton

And This is England’s Tom Turgoose

Plus former Premier League players Wes Brown, John O’Shea, Glenn Whelan, Chris Eagles plus more!

This is an UNMISSABLE EVENT.

There will also be lots of pre-and post match entertainment for everyone to enjoy!

If you are a business looking to support, please do contact us.

Press enquiries directly to [email protected] 

And with your help, it will stay that way!

Our School Santa Dash will directly support Once Upon a Smile, a Greater Manchester charity that continues to make a difference in schools across our region.

As the holiday season approaches, we’re thrilled to invite your school to take part in the Once Upon a Smile Santa Dash a fun, festive event that spreads joy while raising vital funds to support children and families during challenging times.

 

 

 

As part of our 15th birthday events, we are super excited for this exclusive experience brought to us from our friends at RAW Adventures.

A wonderful, airy hill walk above Llanberis, offering magnificent views over to the Snowdon massif and Glyderau range on the opposite side of the valley. This undulating circuit is mostly grassy underfoot with good paths in and out of Llanberis village.

Circular: Starting/ending in Llanberis
Distance: 15km/9 miles round trip
Total Ascent: 764 metres/2506 feet

Price includes fee for specialist trained walkers on the day.

Minimum fundraising amount £150. 

Please get in touch to find out more or book now directly in the link.

OUAS Moel Eilio Event Notes

Tough Mudder is one of the most popular endurance events in the world, attracting people of all skill levels who are looking for a challenge.

Whether you’re an athlete in peak condition or someone just looking to push yourself out of your comfort zone, Tough Mudder has something to offer.

There are a couple of Tough Mudder Entry options-booking directly with Once Upon a Smile is from free (with an agreed fundraising amount) or you can choose to book directly with the organisers.

Participants also receive a free charity t-shirt.

 

The Manchester Half marathon is a 13.1 mile challenge that takes place every October, starting and finishing by Old Trafford, and is easily the biggest in the region with over 15,000 runners.

Take part this year and fundraise for Once Upon a Smile and you’ll receive a FREE t-shirt.

Choose to fund your own place or sign up directly with our fundraising team.

 

World Smile Day encourages people to spread kindness and make others smile.

This year, we want you to bring smiles throughout not only the day but throughout the year.

We have some amazing fundraising ideas which you can take part in which would help spread some smiles and raise some much needed funds for Once Upon a Smile.

Spread some love!
Spread some love to others online, write a post on your social media and tag someone who you want to celebrate, donate to Once Upon a Smile and encourage the person nominated to also take part. -Creating a wave of positivity online. -We have text to donate option or JustGiving link available.* Don’t forget to tag us in your post and/or use the #SmileOUAS
-use this message in your social media also:

Today, I want to take a moment to celebrate [@person’s name]! You inspire me with your kindness and positivity every day. 💛 In your honour, I’ve donated to Once Upon a Smile, an incredible charity that supports children and families dealing with bereavement. Their work makes such a difference, and I encourage you to join me in spreading kindness by donating too! 💫

Let’s create a wave of positivity online! Who else will take part? 💪 #CelebrateKindness #SmileOUAS

(INSERT JustGiving link here)

 

Other ideas:

• The classics always work! Ask everyone to donate a set amount to dress down for the day (or try dress up day too!). A great idea for work or school.
• Our SMILE MILE of course! Designed originally as a school one-off activity it’s actually evolved into a wider event and is fun for all ages. Even workplaces now get involved and take part as it is a great lunchtime activity.
• Challenge yourself to do a mile a day, could be running, hopping, walking, cycling, swimming. Or it could be a one-off event for on the day-the magic is it is totally up to you!
• Wear orange! Turns out Sidley our bear loves anything orange. Host an orange party, serving orange drinks and treats!

Want some more inspiration? Check out our A-Z Guide of Fundraising Activities.

We are also happy to work with you on an idea to suit your setting or workplace. Please reach out and get in touch.

Text Donate:
Text OUAS to 70085 to donate £3.

Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear more from us, please text OUASNOINFO instead.

 

The 2026 AJ Bell Great North Run ballot is now open!
The AJ Bell Great North Run is the world’s biggest and best half marathon, with 60,000 runners taking on the 13.1 mile route from Newcastle to South Shields each year. It’s famous for its inclusive atmosphere, unbeatable on-route entertainment, and warm Geordie welcome. From the rush of thousands of cheering spectators to the oggy-oggy-oggy chants, Great North Run magic can be hard to understand – until you’ve experienced it for yourself.

All the while you will be fundraising for Once Upon a Smile-making a huge difference to supporting bereaved children at their time of need.

To register:

Simply click the entry link (external website) and complete the ballot registration form to enter. You will be asked to submit payment details for the entry fee and for any optional merchandise you may wish to purchase. You will need to authorise this payment, if requested by your bank, to complete your entry however no funds will be removed from your account unless you are successful in the ballot draw that will take place on or around the time the ballot closes (Closing date will be confirmed then the ballot opens).

It’s important that you have the necessary funds available in your account at the time of the ballot draw.

If you have been confirmed a place-contact us and let us know. We will provide you with a fundraising pack and all you need to help you prepare for one of the best running events in the UK.

In 2026, Once Upon a Smile will be celebrating 15 incredible years of supporting bereaved children and families. This milestone is only possible thanks to the kindness of people like you–and we’d love you to be part of it.

Throughout the year, we’ll be launching a series of special events and activities. Whether you want to fundraise, donate, or simply spread the word, there are so many ways you can get involved.

Examples:

Fundraise your way – Host a challenge at work, with friends, or with family. From birthday bake-offs to fun team challenges, every idea makes a difference.

Set up a regular donation – Help us provide consistent, long-term support to children when they need it most.

Donate directly – Every pound truly matters. Visit our [JustGiving page] to make a one-off gift today.

Raise awareness – Share your support on social media using #OUAS and help more families hear about our work.

Need inspiration? – Take a look at our A–Z of Fundraising Guide for lots of creative ideas.

The difference you can make:

• £20 provides a school with a We’re Here For You bereavement comfort bag.

• £100 supports a family with groceries during the school holidays.

• £200 helps towards the cost of school uniforms for two children.

• £500 funds a group activity for bereaved children we support.

Together, let’s make our 15th year one to remember!

Run, walk, swim or hop a mile a day for our birthday this August!

You decide how far you challenge yourself and how you do it!
There is no minimum sponsorship amount. However, if you raise over £100 we will send you a charity t-shirt.

The Great North SwimRun is a journey across the landscape, taking on land and water, navigating around Short, Middle and Endurance distances.

Doing a SwimRun is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the great outdoors and experience a variety of terrain.

Great North SwimRun takes place through Windermere in the Lake District-an amazing experience for anyone who takes part.

This event can be booked directly by SwimRun. Once signed up, set up a JustGiving fundraising page and we will be in touch!