Miles Of Smiles CIC

🐥🎂 THE GREAT CHICK CAKE BAKE WORKSHOP 🎂🐥

Calling all budding bakers aged 8+! Join us for a fun-filled, hands-on cake decorating experience where creativity takes centre stage.

✨ Decorate your own 6” sponge cake
✨ Learn how to ice a cake like a pro
✨ Create adorable animal-themed fondant decorations
✨ Get creative with cake!
✨ Take your finished cake home in a cake box to share with your family

Led by a professional cake maker, this is a very special bespoke workshop with only a handful of spaces available. With such a small group, every child will receive plenty of individual guidance, support and encouragement throughout the session.

📅 5th August
⏰ 10am – 12pm
💷 Early Bird Price: £25 per person
🎟️ Very limited spaces available

A relaxed, friendly session packed with fun, learning and sweet memories. Perfect for creative children who love baking and crafting.

Book early to avoid disappointment – once these spaces are gone, they’re gone!

💜 “It Must Be Nice…” 💜

“It must be nice spending your days cuddling animals.”

“It must be lovely working outdoors.”

“It must be great being your own boss.”

I hear these comments quite a lot.

And honestly? Yes, those things are lovely.

But they’re only a tiny part of the picture.

What people don’t see are the evenings spent completing paperwork, the weekends spent catching up on admin, the constant responsibility of safeguarding, the risk assessments, the referrals, the meetings, the training updates, the incident reports, the emails, the planning, and the endless to-do list that never quite reaches the bottom.

They don’t see the worry when a young person is struggling.

The hours spent putting support plans in place.

The difficult conversations.

The safeguarding concerns that follow you home.

The emotional weight that comes with supporting children who need someone in their corner.

They don’t see the constant balancing act of making sure the animals are healthy and happy, the site is safe, the bills are paid, the equipment works, the supplies are stocked, and every young person who comes through our gates feels welcomed, valued, and supported.

Running Miles Of Smiles isn’t a job that finishes when the gates close.

It’s answering emails at 10pm.

It’s waking up in the middle of the night because you’ve remembered something you forgot to do.

It’s carrying responsibility for young people, animals, staff, volunteers, and a growing provision that means so much to so many people.

It’s exhausting.

It’s rewarding.

It’s chaotic.

It’s wonderful.

And despite all of that, I wouldn’t swap it for anything.

Because every time I see a young person smile, build confidence, regulate their emotions, make a friend, cuddle an animal, or achieve something they never thought they could, I’m reminded exactly why Miles Of Smiles exists.

So next time someone says, “It must be nice…” I’ll smile and agree.

Because it is.

But it’s also one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 💜

🌈 Miles Of Smiles – A place where you can be anything you want to be. 🌈

💜✨ MEET THE TEAM – KAITLYN ✨💜

Hi, I’m Kaitlyn, and I’m a Volunteer Animal Care Assistant at Miles of Smiles! 😊

🌿 A little about me
I love spending time with the animals and helping to care for them. Being part of Miles of Smiles is so rewarding, and I enjoy learning more about animal care every day. Every day brings something different, and I love being part of such a friendly and welcoming team.

Working at Miles of Smiles has also inspired me to hopefully work with young people in the future. I love seeing the positive impact the team has and would like to build my experience and knowledge to support young people one day.

💜 My favourite thing about Miles of Smiles
Definitely the cuddles with the animals! 🐾 Spending time with them is one of the best parts of my day.

🐶 My favourite animal
Dogs! They can always put a smile on my face, no matter what kind of day I’m having.

💅 Fun Fact
You’ll rarely see me without some sort of funky nail design! Whether it’s bright colours, patterns, or something a little different, I love having fun with my nails and showing off a bit of personality.

💜 A message from Freddie
We absolutely love having Kaitlyn as part of the Miles of Smiles family. Over time, she has grown to know and understand our animals so well and cares for them as if they were her own. Her dedication, kindness, and willingness to learn never go unnoticed, and we are so grateful for everything she does for both the animals and our team. Thank you, Kaitlyn! 🐾💜

💜 Miles of Smiles – A place where you can be anything you want to be. 💜

☀️🌈 SUMMER HOLIDAY THEMES AT MILES OF SMILES 🌈☀️

Alongside all of our clubs, sessions and holiday activities, we’ll be exploring a different theme each week throughout the summer holidays!

🧚‍♀️🏴‍☠️ Week Beginning 3rd August
Fairies & Pirates

🌈🎨 Week Beginning 10th August
Rainbow & Colours Week
💛 Fundraising for Little John’s House

🏃‍♀️🏅 Week Beginning 24th August
Sports Week

🐠🌊 Week Beginning 31st August
Under the Sea Week

Each week will include themed trays, crafts, sensory activities and outdoor adventures linked to our theme.

🎭 Fancy dress is encouraged every week, so get creative and join in the fun!

We can’t wait to see all of your amazing outfits and enjoy a summer full of smiles, memories and adventures. 💚

💜✨ MEET THE TEAM – KAREN & BERN ✨💜

Also known as the Mother Hen/Big Boss (don’t tell Freddie! 😉) & Tool Man of Miles of Smiles!

Karen is Freddie’s mum, and Bern is Freddie’s stepdad. Together, they’re a huge part of what makes Miles of Smiles so special, working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

🌿 A little about us
If something needs fixing, building, moving, feeding, repairing, or improving, chances are Bern is already on it! Known as the Tool Man, he’s happiest with a project on the go and plays a huge part in bringing Freddie’s ideas to life.

Karen keeps everyone in check (including Freddie!), helps care for the animals, and always seems to have the answer to whatever challenge the day brings.

Together, they’re the dream team behind the scenes and an important part of the Miles of Smiles family.

💜 Our favourite thing about Miles of Smiles
Hearing the children laughing, playing, and having fun around the site. Seeing young people enjoy the outdoors, make memories, and build confidence makes all the hard work worthwhile.

😂 Fun Facts

Karen is convinced there’s a natural remedy for almost everything, and the family are pretty sure she was a good witch in a previous life! 🧙‍♀️🌿

Bern has never met a job he couldn’t tackle. Give him a set of tools, a challenge, and a strong cup of coffee, and he’ll find a way to make it happen! 🔨☕

💜 Miles of Smiles – A place where you can be anything you want to be. 💜

FamilyLed BehindTheScenes

🚨 SUMMER EVENTS HAVE LANDED! 🚨

And the best part?

👀 This isn’t even all of them…

We’ve got a summer packed with outdoor adventures, animals, fun, friendship and memory-making—and we’re not finished announcing events yet!

Take a look at what’s coming up so far and keep watching this space for even more exciting additions. 🌿☀️🐾

💚 Fun for everyone. Memories for life.

🌿💚 Please Vote for Miles Of Smiles CIC! 💚🌿

We’re excited to be in with a chance of receiving funding through MyGivingCircle, and we’d be incredibly grateful for your support.

At Miles Of Smiles CIC, we provide Forest School sessions, animal-assisted therapy, outdoor learning opportunities, family respite, and community clubs that support the wellbeing of children, young people, and families. We also volunteer in local schools and nursing homes, helping to bring joy, connection, and meaningful experiences to people of all ages.

Every vote helps us move closer to securing funding that will allow us to continue and expand our work within the community.

✅ It’s completely FREE to vote
✅ It only takes a minute
✅ Your vote could make a huge difference

Please click the link below and vote for Miles Of Smiles CIC. We’d also appreciate it if you could like, comment, and share this post to help us reach more people.

Thank you for supporting our mission to create more smiles, stronger communities, and brighter futures. 🌟

Vote for Miles Of Smiles CIC — it's free and helps them share £300,000 in grants Takes 10 seconds. Share this and make it count.

💙✨ MEET THE TEAM – OSCAR ✨💙

Hi, I’m Oscar, the Sports Lead and Learning Support at Miles of Smiles! 😊

⚽ A little about me
I’m super laid back – so much so that I could be horizontal! 😆 I love helping young people build confidence, develop new skills, and have fun through sport and positive experiences. Whether I’m leading sports sessions, supporting learning, or getting involved in activities, I enjoy helping every child feel included and achieve their goals.

Truth be told, I’m a bit of a big kid myself! 😂 I love getting involved in games, having a laugh with the young people, and making every session as fun as possible. In fact, Freddie often says she has to include me in the numbers she’s supervising!

⛳ Outside of Miles of Smiles, you’ll usually find me on the golf course or playing football. I love being active and spending time outdoors.

💜 My favourite thing about Miles of Smiles
Opening the gates and seeing how excited the young people are to come in each day. Their enthusiasm, smiles, and eagerness to get involved make every session worthwhile and remind me why I love what I do.

🩳 Fun Fact
No matter the weather, you’ll almost always find me wearing shorts! Rain, wind, sunshine, or snow—it doesn’t make much difference to me. 😂

💜 Miles of Smiles – A place where you can be anything you want to be. 💜

🌞 Something special is on the horizon… 🌞

The summer holidays are fast approaching, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on behind the scenes. 👀✨

Think outdoor adventures, animal encounters, new experiences, lots of laughter and memories waiting to be made. 🐾🌳💚

We’ll be revealing our full summer line-up very soon, so keep an eye on our page and get ready for a summer packed with smiles!

💚 Who’s ready to make some unforgettable summer memories? ✨

Update ✨

It is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to stop offering horse riding sessions at Miles of Smiles.

Due to increasing costs and licensing requirements that we were previously unaware of, it is unfortunately no longer sustainable for us as a family-run business to continue providing ridden activities. This decision has not been made lightly, and we have explored every possible avenue before reaching this point.

As a young person trying to do something positive for others in the community, it can sometimes feel as though every effort is constantly scrutinised, even when your intentions are simply to create opportunities and make a difference. This has made an already difficult situation even more challenging.

Any income from Miles of Smiles has always gone directly back into the care, welfare, and upkeep of our animals, whose wellbeing will always remain our priority.

What makes this particularly difficult is that we have never wanted to be a riding school or riding centre. We currently provide riding opportunities for just four children as part of our wider wellbeing-focused activities. However, the same licensing requirements and costs apply regardless of whether you are a large commercial riding establishment or a very small provider like ourselves. We are disappointed that there is no recognition of this difference, and no reduced-cost option for organisations operating on such a small scale.

While we are no longer able to offer riding sessions, Miles of Smiles will still continue with all other horse-related experiences and activities.

We want to sincerely thank everyone for your support, kindness, and encouragement over the years. Watching children build confidence, develop relationships with our horses, and create special memories has been a privilege, and this decision has been incredibly difficult for us to make. ❤️