Theodora Children's Charity

17/06/2026

Last week was a special day for us at Theodora's as we celebrated the International Day of Play!🤹

Our Giggle Doctors use play to support children in hospital - but play is crucial in all of our lives as it helps reduce stress, boost creativity, strengthens connections with family, friends, loved ones, and brings more joy into our everyday lives.🧡

Our office is based in a shared building in London, so we spent the day celebrating with neighbouring businesses in our building, where they had an opportunity to meet a Giggle Doctor for the first time and learn some fun tricks such as balloon making, puzzle solving and magic tricks! Did you know you can make an elephant using a medical glove?🐘

Thank you to everyone who took part, donated and took the time to find out more about the work of our Giggle Doctors - and a big thank you to the wonderful people and companies that donated prizes for our raffle!💚

02/06/2026

Meet our new Trainee Giggle Doctors!🤹‍♀️For the next 12 months, Hanna, Anna and Frank will be embarking on a new adventure, which includes many shifts in hospitals working under the guidance of experienced Giggle Doctors. Alongside this, they will attend workshop days to build their artistic skills, from magic tricks, to music, improvisation, slapstick and balloon modelling.

Training to be a Giggle Doctor is a certified process which includes an academic qualification assessed and awarded by Accademia Dimitri, a leading school of performing arts in Europe🎭

They will be studying to receive a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in “The Art of the Giggle Doctor”, which offers programmes in creative and artistic practices. Daniel Bausch, teacher at the Accademia Dimitri and one of the trainers of the Giggle Doctors, reflects on the experience: "You need very special skills to be a Giggle Doctor. Improvisation, for example, is a key element of the training. When entering a hospital room, a Giggle Doctor must be able to immediately sense what the child needs."

We look forward to sharing exciting updates on Hanna, Anna and Frank's Giggle Doctor journey!

Thank you CW+ charity for letting us use your wonderful studio to capture these photos 🧡

01/06/2026

A big thank you to The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation who support causes that bring happiness and joy through the transformative power of music to people across Sheffield. Their kind donation will help Dr Flowerpot and Dr Nic Nac bring music, magic, laughter and play to children at Sheffield Children's Hospital!🎶 🧡

🎶 Grant News 🎶 The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation is delighted to continue supporting the incredible work of Theodora Children's Charity through a new grant for their Giggle Doctor Programme at Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS and Charity 💛

Following the success of our previous support, we’re proud to fund another series of visits from Dr Flowerpot and Dr Nic Nac, who bring music, laughter and comfort to children during their hospital stays.

Across wards including intensive care, oncology, burns and emergency departments, the Giggle Doctors use singing, storytelling, gentle humour and imaginative play to create moments of joy and connection for children and their families during difficult times.

Our previous support showed the powerful impact these visits can have — helping children feel calmer and more confident, while also lifting the spirits of parents, siblings and hospital staff.

At the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation, we believe deeply in the power of music to uplift wellbeing, and we’re proud to continue supporting projects that bring comfort, creativity and happiness to young people when they need it most 🎵✨

26/05/2026

Molly our Co-CEO had a fantastic evening at The Hospital Saturday Fund's Annual General Meeting. The night was filled with inspiring stories from the wonderful organisations supported by the Hospital Saturday Fund, and we are incredibly grateful to be one of the charities chosen for a grant.

Thank you to the Hospital Saturday Fund for your generous support over the years and for organising such a special charity reception. You have helped our Giggle Doctors support the mental health and wellbeing of thousands of children undergoing treatment in hospitals, and have given the gift of joy, magic and laughter when it is needed most🧡

14/05/2026

Our Giggle Doctors create opportunities for play, laughter and fun for children in hospital, helping them to cope with anxiety they may be experiencing. Play is vital in children’s lives due to the positive impact it has on their wellbeing, and it has a positive ripple effects for parents and carers at their bedside too. It can be very stressful for families to see their child in hospital, so the chance to see them smile can be incredibly liberating and uplifting too🧡

"It felt like we were all being taken extra special care of, that people cared enough to think what would really benefit us emotionally and worked hard to make it happen. They were also thoughtful - they knocked on the door and talked from the corridor until we invited them in. Don’t stop doing what you’re doing. It was so needed and really special., they were so spontaneously funny, we all couldn’t stop laughing!"- Nicola, a parent

"They did an amazing job at approaching my daughter very gently and masterfully she started getting involved and smiling. I was so happy to her smile, it was probably the first laugh she had in days and no amount of hospital tv or ice cream could put a smile on her face but Giggle Doctors could and I am so so thankful. It was such a joy for me too to see my child smile at that point it nearly made me cry" - Darya, a parent

08/05/2026

"My son was feeling really poorly, he was in for an infusion at Addenbrooke's Hospital when Dr Geehee, and Dr Mish Mash came and cheered him up, singing the chicken banana song, and playing around🐥🍌They were very funny, and he really enjoyed it!"🧡 - Gail, a parent

Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust - help make your hospitals even better Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

04/05/2026

Why bubbles are more important than you might think🫧

Bubbles are a very important prop which magically appear from a Giggle Doctors colourful coat and are used to connect with a child. In a place filled with routines and treatments, bubbles can create tiny adventures - something to catch, pop, or watch floating away. In those moments, children aren’t patients, they are explorers, gigglers, and dreamers!

Fiona recently shared, "We met Dr Dilly Dally in Birmingham Children's Hospital and Charity yesterday. She was wonderful, from the moment she entered the room, it was as if the sun had come out. The children all responded to the music, singing and bubbles with happiness and enthusiasm. You could feel the uplift in the mood. My son Merlin was in a lot of pain with his hip but totally forgot about it whilst talking to Dr Dilly Dally and playing with the bubbles!"
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28/04/2026

Congratulations Michael!🥳 26.2 miles for smiles in the London Marathon 2026!🏃‍♂️🏅

From all of us at Theodora's and the Giggle Doctors, we want to share our heartfelt thanks for the dedication, strength, and compassion behind every step you took to support the wellbeing of children in hospital and give the gift of giggles.

Thank you for your many years of support and for helping us bring magical moments to children and their families going through challenging times – we couldn’t do it without incredible supporters like you🧡🧡

21/04/2026

Happy National Tea Day!🫖 As you can imagine Dr Teapot is a big fan of today, and he describes what it is like being a Giggle Doctor and why play is so important for children in hospital🧡

"A child’s face lighting up when they see you again is a very special kind of magic. They might request a particular trick or bit of silliness, and with pockets full of silly props and toys, and a brain full of imagination (and jokes!) we’re never short of ways to create giggles."✨

"The idea that I could use my skills as an actor and entertainer to bring about a real positive change really appealed to me. It is, quite simply, the best job in the world. You might say it’s just my…cup of tea!" - Dr Teapot

20/04/2026

Meet the inspiration behind our charity, Théodora Poulie, fondly known as the original Giggle Doctor by her sons and our Founders, André and Jan 🧡

André shared, "When I was younger, I severely cut my foot whilst moving the lawn. I was rushed to hospital where they narrowly saved my life and my foot but only through many months of hospitalisation and 14 operations."

"My mum would come to see me every day – from the first to the very last minute of visiting hours. She entertained me with games, with singing, and, most importantly, by sparking my imagination. She transported me – allowed me to escape from that hospital bed. For those precious short hours, my mind was somewhere else. I like to think of my mum as the original Giggle Doctor!"

Happy birthday Théodora, and here's to the thousands of giggles made possible for children in hospital in your memory💛