Thirteen years of helping bereaved children in Manchester

A small charity named Once Upon a Smile has been making a monumental impact in Greater Manchester over the past thirteen years.

Co-founded by Daniel Jillings and Danny Miller in 2011, the charity has managed to transform the lives of countless bereaved families through tailored support and innovative initiatives.

And this August, they are celebrating an incredible thirteen years of helping some of the most vulnerable kids in Greater Manchester.

Once Upon a Smile

We sat down with co-founder Daniel Jillings, who opened up about the beginnings of the charity.

“We started the charity in 2011. Danny Miller, my best friend, who most people know from Aaron in Emmerdale, and I realised that there was a significant lack of support for bereaved families in Greater Manchester.

“Two lads from Manchester with no experience in charities decided to change that,” Daniel shared.

Initially, Once Upon a Smile aimed to provide financial support and respite breaks to families in need.

“We wanted to help families get back on their feet by paying for utility bills or offering a gift card for groceries.

“We even arranged respite breaks for families to reconnect and regroup.

“The charity quickly realised that their mission needed to expand.

“In 2014, we found that what schools actually wanted was counselling for their pupils. We didn’t offer clinical services, but we introduced children’s bereavement support.

“Kelly Willison, our head of bereavement services, brought a wealth of professional and lived experience to our team,” he added.

A sky rocketing demand for services

By 2019, the demand for their services had skyrocketed, leading to the establishment of Sidley House, Greater Manchester’s first dedicated children’s bereavement centre.

“Opening Sidley House was revolutionary for us. It has ten rooms designed by children we’ve supported, including a chill-out room, a baking room, and even a Lego room.

“All our support now takes place at Sidley House, tailored to the needs of each family,” said Daniel.

One of the charity’s most heartfelt success stories is Patrick’s.

“Patrick was the first young person we supported in 2014, after his sister died in an accident.

“Today, he’s a fully-fledged pediatric nurse and one of our young ambassadors. His journey epitomises the life-changing impact we strive to achieve,”

Despite its incredible success, the charity faces significant challenges.

“We’re a small charity with just seven full-time staff, but people assume we are much bigger because of our impact.

“We rely on repeat referrals from schools and local authorities, but fundraising remains a constant struggle.

“We’ve been fortunate to partner with the JD Foundation and other corporates, but the need for our services continues to grow.”

We’re here for you

One of their recent initiatives is the “We’re Here For You” bereavement bags.

“We launched these bags over 12 months ago to provide immediate comfort to students who experience bereavement.

“Over 85% of Greater Manchester’s primary schools now have these bags, which include a snuggle bear, bubbles, a diary, and a leaflet designed by children to normalise their feelings,” explained Daniel.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unforeseen hurdles for Once Upon a Smile.

“We opened Sidley House in 2019, but everything shut down just a year later.

“We had to adapt quickly and took our services online, even though we believe in face-to face support.

“The pandemic has made fundraising even more challenging, but we continue to persevere.”

Looking towards the future, the charity plans to expand its reach and grow its services.

“Fundraising has become harder, but the demand for our services is growing every day. We’re committed to meeting that demand and hope to secure more corporate partnerships.

“Our biggest events like the Grand Ball and Christmas lunch are crucial for our fundraising efforts, along with marathons, skydiving, and other challenge activities,” he said.

Daniel emphasised the importance of community support.

“We’re always looking for companies or individuals who want to support a Manchester-based charity that’s making a massive difference.

“If there are any families in need of our support, they can reach out via our website or give us a call.”

Once Upon a Smile may be a small charity, but its impact on the bereaved families of Greater Manchester is immeasurable.

As it looks forward to the next five to ten years, the organization remains dedicated to its mission to provide tailored bereavement support, ensuring no family has to face their grief alone.

You can find out more about Once Upon a Smile by clicking here