Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve dedicated over £3m of funding specifically to address digital exclusion, including a grant of £500,000 to the Good Things Foundation.

Spread a Smile are a BBC Children in Need funded charity who entertain seriously ill children in hospital. Throughout the pandemic, they have adapted their services to provide entertainment virtually.

Recently, Spread a Smile have partnered with the Good Things Foundation and have received 50 tablets to support the families of seriously ill children in hospital who don’t have any current digital access or who have no devices for children in their household.

These tablets will enable parents, carers and their children to develop their digital skills and come with useful resources and links that assist in their learning and discovery.  Spread a Smile are also including links to the charity’s own digital services including Smile TV, a secure platform featuring video entertainment from the charity’s own magicians, musicians, fairies, poets and artists.

Lucy Jackman, CEO of Spread a Smile, explains why accessing their services is critical…