A million reasons to smile as Barnard Castle charity hits major milestone

A TEESDALE charity will have a million reasons to smile this Christmas.
Barnard Castle-based A Smile For A Child raised its one millionth pound on Sunday after more than seven years supporting disabled and disadvantaged youngsters.
Owner, founder and fundraising tour de force Chris Read was overwhelmed with the charity’s achievements.
“I never thought we would get there,” he said. “It never really crossed my mind until a year ago when my wife, Nicole, and I were going through the accounts.
“We had three-quarters of a million pounds and I did start to wonder.”
Using the Twitter hashtag #Go4themillion, the dale charity has been working towards the £1million figure for the past three months. Bucket collections and events nationwide have edged the charity towards the milestone.
It was a weekend collection near Hull with youngster Kizzy Wade which brought the million home.
Mr Read, a former supermarket manager, set up A Smile for A Child in 2009 while on leave from Waitrose.
After he was made redundant, the family took the life-changing decision to throw their weight behind the charity. Seven years down the line, A Smile For A Child has helped children the length and breadth of Britain with more than 500 different groups and people benefiting  from the charity’s work.
“It’s seeing the kids’ faces when they get the equipment they need,” said Mr Read. “It’s the smile on their faces when they see what they’ve got – especially when the family think it will take years to save up.
“Every family we’ve helped has offered to collect for us at some point. We have helped 82 families, 37 groups and seven special schools this year.”
Using Mr Read’s living room in Coronation Street as its office headquarters, the charity has grown from a one-man-band to having a standing army of volunteers.
But Mr Read said none of it would have been possible without his family.
“It’s very much a family thing – without Nicole and the children we would not be able to do half the things we do,” he added.
The 51-year-old has never been one to shy away from a physical test for the cause.
He completed 50 challenges for his 50th birthday in 2015 – including a marathon along the Great Wall of China, a cycle from London to Paris and a desert run in North Africa. The epic feat raised more than £50,000 for A Smile For A Child.
However, Mr Read was keen to highlight the work of families and volunteers who made the £1million quest a success.
“These kids and families do a lot of active fundraising themselves – it’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s not about me – it’s about our supporters and the children. I’m just the one who organises it.”
Harnessing the power of social media has been a key string to the charity’s bow and its partnerships in the dale have also boosted its reach.
Neville Singleton, chairman of Teesdale Disability Access Forum, had nothing but praise for his fellow charity worker.  He added: “There are a lot of people who don’t realise how much work he really does.
“He will not give up at anything – when they’re handing out OBEs he should have one.
“The number of children I know personally who he has helped is just unbelievable.”
Mr Read added: “We have got a lovely relationship with the access forum.
“If they cannot help someone they will refer them to me and I will see if I can help them.  It’s links like that which help so much – if it’s a request from them I know it’s genuine and I can spend more time on fundraising.”
Contacts from his former career have also helped boost the charity’s coffers.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Waitrose and the people I have worked with over the years,” added Mr Read.
“I have had managers I’ve not spoken to for years who have set up collections in branches. It's just lovely – that’s the beauty of the internet.”
The Reads are moving out of Barney this week which will mean a few administrative changes at the charity.
Mr Read explained: “I will have my own little office in the spare room now.”
The £1million may be secure but there is plenty still to come for the charity.
A Lionel Messi signed football boot, donated by Nigel and Eleanor Allison at Picture This, has seen dozens of people bid hundreds of hours of volunteering time for the charity. A ‘Santa Dip’ at Saltburn on Tuesday, December 27, will also see hardy souls brave the icy North Sea at 10am.  Mr Read will be served a curry on the seafront by staff from Barnard Castle’s Spice Island. Visit www.asmile
forachild.org