Step up to the challenge to bring smiles to the faces of poorly children from across the North West.

By joining together as a class, year group or school, you can walk together to cover the journeys of our patients, raising funds for both Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and your school*.

This event could also help you reach your Healthy School Programme and Change 4 Life physical activity targets.

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital treats over 260,000 patients every year from every corner of the North West. From near and far, our patients travel many miles whether their treatment is a one-off or takes many years.

Schools signing up for Miles4Smiles select a distance that one of our patients would travel to the hospital.  For example, Jessica had to come to the hospital for treatment for her cancer. As part of her treatment, Jessica had to come in daily for one week. As Jessica lives 56 miles from the hospital, over the week Jessica travelled 560 miles.Students would cover that same distance at their school by counting steps as they walk or simply stepping on the spot.The Miles4Smiles challenge can be undertaken indoors or out and can be completed over several weeks, a term or an academic year, depending on the distance selected.

Each school signing up will receive a full fundraising pack which includes:

• Various distances to select, ranging from 15 miles to over 1,000 miles
• Ideas to increase physical activity to meet the challenge
• An information letter for parents
• A teachers pack to incorporating other areas of the curriculum
• A sponsorship form PDF
• Balloons and stickers

We’re happy to discuss this project with you if you would like more information before registering –  please email our Community Fundraising team on community.events@mft.nhs.uk.

*schools can select to fundraise solely for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity if they wish.