Milly's Smiles

The charity is in memory of my beautiful, inspirational daughter Milly, who is missed beyond words. It is like being given an understanding hug in a bag.
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Milly’s Smiles was founded in November 2015 by Lorraine Hargreaves, in memory of her daughter Milly. Milly was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in November 2014 aged 11 and was treated at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for 10 months, until she very sadly passed away weeks before her 12th birthday. Milly’s Smiles became a registered charity in March 2016, with their objective to hel

p children and families going through a similar journey that Milly and her family had embarked upon. Children are often admitted into hospital unexpectedly after being initially diagnosed with a cancer by their local GP or hospital, parents often have nothing with them and are unprepared for a long hospital stay. Milly’s Smiles provide help and support to families at this point. A Milly Bag is given on arrival onto the ward, and contains essential and luxury items that families do not realise they need until they need them. The bag is so much more than practical support, it also lets families know that someone is thinking about them and understands their fears and their worries. Milly’s Smiles currently support 5 Principal Treatment Centres, The Royal Manchester, Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Leeds Children’s Hospital, The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham and most recently The Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. Each Milly Bag costs £140 and a total of 1705 families have been supported which equates to £238,700.

17/06/2026

We have had such a lovely afternoon at Milly's Smiles today.

We were joined by six pupils from Oakhill ho managed to pack 35 Milly Bags ready for our next delivery schedule.

Not only did they work incredibly hard, but they also filled the unit with laughter. There was singing, chatter, and even a lesson for Graeme in all the things Alexa can do... including getting dogs to sing Happy Birthday!

What I loved most was seeing the pupils understand the importance of what they were doing. Every Milly Bag represents a family whose world has been turned upside down, yet these young people brought so much joy, kindness and positivity to the task.

As I sat watching them packing bags, laughing together and enjoying every minute, I couldn't help but think how much Milly would have loved seeing young people making a difference for other children whilst having fun along the way.

A huge well done, you have been an absolute credit to yourselves and your school, and we loved having you with us.

Thank you for making such a big difference, not just through the 35 bags you packed, but through the happiness you brought into our unit too. 🎗🌈❤

12/06/2026

After losing Milly, I felt like nobody in the world truly understood the pain I was carrying or the sheer enormity of no longer having my youngest daughter with me.

People wanted to help and were very kind, but I was often told that my pain was understood because they had lost a beloved pet or an elderly relative. Whilst every loss is painful and significant, losing a child is different. It goes against the natural order of life. As parents, we expect to leave our children one day, not for them to leave us.

The only support I found truly comforting was connecting with other bereaved parents. I didn't have to explain my feelings, justify my grief, or pretend I was okay.

They simply understood - and that understanding was one of the reasons SOULS was created.

Over the years, our SOULS bereavement support group has become a source of friendship, support, laughter, tears and understanding for many bereaved families.

One thing we have learned is that sometimes people don't need a support group or an organised activity. Sometimes they just need a brew, a piece of cake, and someone who understands what it feels like to carry grief.

So we are very excited to introduce SOULS – Coffee, Cake & Conversation as an addition to our existing SOULS groups.

📅 Starting Friday 3rd July
🕙 10am – 12 noon
📍 Milly's Smiles - Unit 4, Alan Ramsbottom Way, Great Harwood.
📨 [email protected] for more information.

The group will then meet on the first Friday of every month.

There is no agenda, no pressure and no expectation. You don't need to talk if you don't want to. You don't need to explain yourself. You can simply come along, enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake, and spend time with people who understand that grief doesn't have a timetable.

SOULS – Coffee, Cake & Conversation is open to anyone affected by the loss of a child, grandchild, brother or sister, regardless of their age when they died or how long ago your loss occurred.

Whether your loss was recent or many years ago, you will receive a warm welcome.
Because nobody should have to face grief alone. 🎗❤🌈

Please feel free to share this post with anyone who may benefit.

11/06/2026

🎮 WIN A BRAND NEW PS5 DIGITAL EDITION! 🎮

Fancy being the lucky winner of a brand new PS5 Digital Edition?

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Nightingales Garage we are raffling off this fantastic prize to raise funds for Milly's Smiles.

🎟 Tickets are just £5 each
📅 Draw Date: 14th July 2026
🕛 Time: 12 Noon
📍 Milly's Smiles HQ

Every ticket sold will help us continue providing Milly Bags to families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis across the UK.

A huge thank you to Nightingales Garage for donating this amazing prize and helping us make a difference when families need it most.

To buy your tickets, simply comment below, send us a message or email [email protected]

Good luck everyone! ❤🌈🎗

10/06/2026

Yesterday was Graeme's first day back after a well-earned holiday, and before he had even had chance to sit down, he was off on the road delivering Milly Bags to Manchester!

On his return, there was no rest, as his next task was to prepare a pallet of 15 Milly Bags for Ward E39 at Nottingham, which were collected today.

We are incredibly fortunate to be gifted our pallets by one of the businesses on our industrial park. This helps us keep costs down and ensures more funds go directly into supporting families.

Every pallet is carefully and meticulously packed by Graeme, making sure each bag is secure and safe for transport. Every Milly Bag is also sealed with its own numbered security tag, ensuring it arrives exactly as intended.

Today's delivery marks our 11th delivery to Nottingham since we began supporting the hospital in 2023 and takes the total number of Milly Bags delivered there to an incredible 195.

We are so very proud that our a small charity in Great Harwood is making a difference, in Milly's memory, to so many families across the country, going through what is possibly one of the worst times of their lives.

Thank you so much to everyone who continues to support Milly's Smiles.🌈❤🎗

09/06/2026

Today we delivered a further 20 Milly Bags to Ward 86 at Manchester Children's Hospital, following a late night request from the ward, after they realised they had only one bag left!

Today's delivery was particularly special as it was the very first hospital delivery in our new van.

It was lovely to see the van loaded up with our Milly Bags for the first time, we are still feeling very blessed and lucky to have received the donation that allowed us to buy this van.

Delivering our Milly Bags is something that we never celebrate. They are the bags that no family ever wants to receive.

We wish there was no need for Milly Bags.

We wish that children didn't get cancer.

But sadly they do.

And for as long as children continue to be diagnosed with cancer, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that families receive a Milly Bag when they need it most.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support, fundraise and donate to us, every penny really does help us to continue making a difference every single day. 🎗❤🌈

05/06/2026

For the last two years we have been lucky enough to be supported by four incredible people, Natalie, her husband Simon, and their friends Tom and Martin.

The team have organised a charity football match for the last three years in memory of a very special young girl, Olivia, who sadly passed away in 2021.

This year's Olivia's Charity Match was another fantastic day, bringing together family, friends and the local community in Olivia's memory. From the football itself to the stalls, entertainment and food, it was clear just how much hard work had gone into making the event such a success.

The final total raised for Milly's Smiles was an incredible £12,303.85.

To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement. It is a phenomenal amount of money and one that will make a real difference to the families we support.

Every pound raised will help us continue providing Milly Bags and support to families at a time when their entire world has collapsed.

The team's generosity didn't stop there. Alongside the fundraising, they also collected a huge number of toiletry donations for our Milly Bags and delivered them to our unit this week. It was lovely to welcome them back and have the opportunity to thank them properly in person.

A very special mention must go to Olivia's parents and family. There are no words that can take away the heartbreak of losing a child. Yet year after year, they continue to honour Olivia's memory by helping other families facing their own difficult journeys.

What they have created in Olivia's name is something truly special. Olivia's legacy lives on, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the incredible support this event receives year after year. The kindness, generosity and commitment shown by so many people is a wonderful reflection of just how loved and remembered Olivia continues to be.

From all of us at Milly's Smiles, thank you. We are incredibly grateful for your support, your friendship and everything you do in Olivia's memory. 🎗❤🌈

03/06/2026

Volunteer Week 2026

This week is Volunteer Week and at Milly's Smiles we want to give a huge shout out to all our incredible volunteers.

Every single one of them plays a vital role in helping us support families when their world has been turned upside down by a childhood cancer diagnosis.

Their kindness, dedication, and willingness to help is at the very heart of everything we do.

Whether it’s:

🌈Packing or delivering Milly Bags
🌈Helping with crafts or knitting our wonderful rainbow elephants
🌈Providing admin and office support
🌈Assisting at events, running stalls or painting faces
🌈Helping with bids and fundraising applications
🌈Giving talks in the community
🌈Or simply being there whenever we need a helping hand...

Each volunteer brings something unique and valuable to our charity and we simply couldn’t do what we do without them.

From everyone at Milly’s Smiles, thank you....... Thank you for your time, your care, your compassion, and for helping us to make a difference at a time when families feel their entire world has collapsed.

We are so proud to have you with us. ❤🌈🎗

01/06/2026

Back in March, I received a phone call from Postcode Lottery to tell me that a street close to Milly's Smiles had won its Millionaire Street prize.

As part of this prize, local charities also receive funding thanks to Postcode Lottery players. When we found out that Milly's Smiles had been chosen to receive funding, we were delighted!

What happened next made it even more special.

The winning street was on the very estate where Milly lived, and one of the winning families had previously received a Milly Bag when their child was being treated at Manchester Children's Hospital.

Sometimes life has a funny way of bringing things full circle. When we discovered the connection between the winning street, Milly's home, and a family who had received a Milly Bag, it felt like one of those moments that reminds you there are sometimes bigger things at work than we'll ever fully understand.

A few weeks later, we received £40,000 in funding, made possible thanks to Postcode Lottery players.

We have put part of the funding towards replacing our old delivery van, which had served us well but was becoming increasingly unreliable and costly to maintain.

We are now the proud owners of a new electric van that will help us deliver Milly Bags to hospitals across the country for many years to come.

Every journey this van makes represents a family at the very beginning of their childhood cancer journey, when everything feels uncertain and overwhelming. Being able to get our bags where they are needed, quickly and reliably, is incredibly important to us.

To every Postcode Lottery player, thank you. Your support is helping us continue Milly's legacy and ensure families receive comfort and practical support when they need it most. 🌈❤🎗

25/05/2026

We are all set up at Great Harwood Agricultural Show today and the sun is shining beautifully!

We have lots of our handmade elephants looking for their forever homes - are you ready to adopt one? 🌈

We have a draw to WIN £50 cash and raffle tickets to win a PS5.

There is so much for everyone to enjoy today, such a lovely atmosphere and a fantastic day out for the whole family.

If you’re visiting the show, please come and say hello — we’d love to see you 🩷🌈🎗️

19/05/2026

This is one of my favourite pictures of Milly - taken on her confirmation day 13 years ago - missed endlessly and loved eternally 💔

Address

Unit 4, Alan Ramsbottom Way
Great Harwood
BB67UA

Telephone

+447555541987

Website

http://www.millyssmiles.org/

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