September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, so this month we are profiling Cianna’s Smile, a charity supporting and educating for UK families impacted by Sickle Cell.
For children, young people and families living with Sickle Cell, the impact of the condition reaches far beyond its physical symptoms. It can affect education, employment, family life, emotional wellbeing and everyday experiences. Alongside these challenges, families can also face isolation, misunderstanding and stigma.
Cianna’s Smile exists to help change that.
We support more than 250 families across the UK, particularly across the Thames Valley, as well as Kent and parts of London. Through activities, support programmes, awareness campaigns and opportunities to connect, we aim to ensure that families affected by Sickle Cell feel heard, connected, supported and empowered.
Our vision is simple: a future where people living with Sickle Cell are understood and supported, and where children and young people are able to see their potential beyond their condition.
How Are We Tackling the Problem?
At Cianna’s Smile, we bring families together throughout the year through regular activities, events and support programmes. These provide opportunities to meet people who understand their experiences, build friendships, learn new skills and access advice and support.
Our work also extends beyond the families we directly support. We raise awareness of Sickle Cell through community events, public talks and social media campaigns, challenge misconceptions and work with other organisations to encourage greater understanding. We also promote the importance of blood donation and advocate for better support for people living with Sickle Cell.
Creating Spaces to Connect, Learn and Thrive
Our Sickle Cell Action Group brings families together for activities, days out, advice, support and signposting to other organisations and healthcare services.
We also run Carers’ Lunches, creating a safe and welcoming space where parents and carers can meet others, share experiences, build friendships and support one another.
Our Wellness Days introduce families to activities that promote wellbeing, including Pilates, nutrition, breathing techniques, self-massage and relaxation.
Through our Focus Groups, families can share their experiences, ideas and feedback, helping us ensure that our services continue to reflect what they need.
For children and young people, our Youth Entrepreneur Club supports those aged 8–16 and their siblings to explore creative and digital skills, including podcasting, photography, animation, digital illustration and web design. These opportunities help young people discover new interests, develop confidence and build skills that can support their future.
Our Virtual Coffee and Catch Up provides a relaxed online space where families can make friends, share experiences and enjoy conversations with people who understand life with Sickle Cell.
Alongside this, our Family Fun Days, Annual Awareness Event and other fundraising activities bring families and the wider community together while helping us raise vital funds and awareness.
The Difference We Make
Our activities run throughout the year, including weekly, fortnightly and monthly sessions, alongside regular family, awareness and fundraising events. We are supported by a dedicated and growing team of volunteers.
The impact goes beyond attendance at an event or session. Families tell us that having a community around them can make a lasting difference.
One beneficiary shared:
“Cianna’s Smile has enabled me to be a part of a community with families that are experiencing similar challenges like my own. To be able to connect, share and learn from others has been invaluable.”
Through our work, families can experience:
- Reduced isolation and loneliness
- Improved emotional wellbeing and quality of life
- Increased confidence and self-esteem
- Stronger friendships and support networks
- Opportunities to learn new skills
- Increased knowledge and understanding of Sickle Cell
- Greater confidence in accessing support and services
- Opportunities for children and young people to explore new interests
- Improved digital, creative and entrepreneurial skills
- A safe space for parents and carers to share experiences
- Greater involvement of families in shaping our services
- Increased awareness and understanding of Sickle Cell within the wider community
- Stronger links between families, charities and community organisations
Hayley King, Founder of Cianna’s Smile, explains:
“Sickle Cell Awareness Month is an important opportunity to make sure that people living with sickle cell, and the families supporting them, feel seen, heard and understood. Awareness must go beyond simply knowing the name of the condition; it is about understanding the very real impact sickle cell can have on education, employment, family life
and everyday wellbeing. At Cianna’s Smile, we want to help create communities where people living with sickle cell feel supported, where misconceptions are challenged, and where no family feels they have to navigate their journey alone.”
Get Involved
There are many ways to support the work of Cianna’s Smile:
Become a Cianna’s Smile Action Group Member: Families impacted by Sickle Cell can come together, share experiences and ideas, and access our support and services.
Donate: Every contribution, large or small, helps us continue our work with families.
Volunteer: Share your time and skills through event planning, fundraising, awareness raising and other opportunities.
Spread the word: Follow us on social media, share our campaigns and encourage others to learn more about Sickle Cell.
Together, we can help create a future where people living with Sickle Cell are understood, supported and empowered — not defined by their condition.