Hi, I’m Vidhi, and this summer I’m fundraising for a very special charity — Spread a Smile — to help them provide carefully curated books for children in 13 hospitals across the UK, specifically in the Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU).

These books aren’t just stories — they are a source of comfort, distraction, and joy for children going through very difficult times. They also encourage parents and carers to read with their children, helping create a more familiar and soothing environment in a clinical setting.

Recently, I volunteered with Spread a Smile to sticker, pack, and prepare the books for this quarter’s donation — and I absolutely loved the experience! It was exciting, fun, and made me realise how powerful a simple book can be.

That’s why, for my 9th birthday, I’ve decided to raise funds to help replenish the next quarter of library books for these mobile hospital bookshelves — as a birthday gift from me to the children in hospitals.

The cost to restock 20 mobile bookshelves across 13 hospitals is approximately £4,800, and my goal is to raise at least half of that.

To reach this goal, I’m planning a mix of fun and creative fundraising activities:

• Baking and selling sweet treats

• Making and selling handmade products like loom bands and bookmarks

• Doing 500 skipping jumps every day until the 21st of August!

This is my first proper fundraiser, and I would be so grateful for your support. Whether you can donate, share this page, or cheer me on — it all helps!

Thank you so much for helping me spread a smile, one book at a time.

– Vidhi