Anyone fancy a swim, in a full suit, in the sea, in winter? Nor did Ash our CEO, but a dare’s a dare!
@TimDownie1
and Jaz Delorean of
@tankusthehenge
– Ash has nominated you to get the cascade of comedy growing!
"If you can create joy and give people those moments, for that moment in time, they are not where they are right now.
"They are wherever they want to be, in whatever crazy, creative, extraordinary place. That's worth everything. And more. And it gives hope." -
@TimDownie1
If you believe as we do in the power of play, please support our Emergency Silliness campaign. Watch. Like. Share and donate if you have anything to spare. ❤x❤x❤
Thanks and love to
@megaphonefilms
@EdHarcourt
for the music.
As long as there are kids who've lost their right to a proper childhood with play and laughter, we'll be sending our teams to bring them all your love and support. If they're not going anywhere then nor are we
#laughtertolebanon
#WorldRefugeeDay
If you’re trying to come up with a new year’s resolution, here’s one for you: apply to volunteer with the Seagulls and transform children’s lives in 2024.
This is the time to stand up and do your bit to make the world a sillier, happier place – details in the photo/alt text x
We're thrilled that
@junkfishcraft
have joined us in Samos! When a child goes back to their tent after a day with us, they have something they made to put up and decorate. It seems a small thing, but this gives them back some of the childhood that's been taken away from them.
We've had the first big rains in Samos. Things can get really tense and morale often plummets. So we've started our cinema nights in the evenings. The kids know that this is their space, that they're always welcome and that their happiness matters.
More big news about our work in the UK! Across the country, some kids are now returning to schools and youth groups with various restrictions. So, in addition to our digital resources, we're ready to work in schools, youth centres and care homes.
Amazing announcement! This is gonna be the biggest & best year since we started 10 years ago. Your support will allow us to send teams to Europe, Lebanon, the borders of Bangladesh & carry on our work in the UK. Keep your eyes peeled, more news to come!
Our clowns are back in Lebanon, sharing smiles and laughter with young refugees from Syria.
We can't accept that these kids will grow up having known nothing but hardship and displacement in their childhoods.
Extremely proud of our founder Ash, whose TEDx talk on the power of play is now online! As ever, a huge thank you to all our supporters, and thank you to
@TEDxJAX
for hosting Ash!
Today is
#InternationalChildrensDay
. We believe the most dignified & respectful life for a child is one that’s full of play & laughter. So today we stand in defiance of all the systems & structures that do not honour the rights of a child, especially the right of a child to play.
Our clowns are working across Poland, Lebanon, the Balkans and the UK, sharing hope and happiness with children in need.
The world is a dark and difficult place right now - so for fun's sake, help us out however you can, and let's make this year one that counts.
A huge thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser. Our founder Ash has a personal message of thanks and an update on what 2018 has in store for the Flying Seagulls!
Really excited about this next month! Now more than ever it's so important to explain the importance of play for healing the the wounds of trauma and displacement and promoting social inclusion. Thanks for inviting Ash,
@TEDxJAX
!
Play & laughter are our one global language. London's Ash Perrin knows that. The founder of the nonprofit
@FlyingSeagullUK
will talk about bringing play to children all around the world. See Ash at
#TEDxJAX
"Exchange" Oct. 20 at
@FloridaTheatre
A hugely exciting moment for us as we launch the first ever international branch of the Seagulls -
@FlyingSeagullNO
! By launching in Norway, we can take on double the amount of projects and reach twice as many children and communities in crisis.
A while since our last update, but our
#NonStopBigTop
tour continues across Greece! With your support we're bringing back the magic, joy and laughter that make a proper childhood. Thanks for all your love - let's keep making sure that every child knows their happiness matters.
Next update from Poland coming soon, but we feel we have to speak out about some of the attitudes to people seeking refuge that we're seeing back in the UK:
We've finished this year's Laughter to Lebanon but we'll have some more big project announcements in a few weeks. In the meantime, we've got some photos from this year's tour that we haven't shared yet. Thanks to you, we brought love, light and laughter to more than 14,000 kids
As some restrictions lift, our priority is safely getting play and laughter to young people who've missed out on vital parts of childhood during the pandemic.
Thanks to
@ketracommunity
for having us and sharing these photo from our Spring In Your Step project!
In 2022 you helped us share respect, play and friendship with 28,790 children.
Across all our projects you helped us deliver 795 sessions, where kids facing the burden of premature adulthood got to recover the feelings of joy, wonder and magic that every child should experience.
We’re asking you to
#StandUpForChildhood
and give whatever you can to help us to take play, joy and happiness to children who really need it this winter. Too many children are going to be cold, scared and hungry in the coming months. Together we can do something to change this.
We're excited to be at one of our new projects - weekly Seagull play sessions for Afghan refugees living in temporary accommodation around England. We're bringing shows, magic, music, circus and games to share light and laughter and offer a positive structure for these kids.
A miserable Tuesday morning here in London but we've got an announcement from Bash and BB out in Dunkirk! BB is running our
#ChannelYourEnergy
project this year. She'll be taking a team to Dunkirk to bring some love and smiles to child
#refugees
who really need it right now
More photos from our work with children in Greece! Children who've sought refuge & kids here without their families have had an unbelievably difficult time.
We're determined to bring all your love & support, bundle it up with oodles of energy, and put smiles back on faces!
We're excited to be back in Greece, working with kids who've been having the worst experience, confined to refuge camps.
To make sure we can keep sharing smiles safely & reliably, we're training up another team of top clowns, entertainers & musicians! Lots more to come!
Photo from a Seagull circus workshop in Clacton! Wherever you look there's a real need for confidence-boosting activities and mind-and-body play right now.
So we're continuing our work across the country to make sure happy and healthy childhood activities are there for everyone!
One of the first things that children in crisis lose is the right to play.
That's why we believe the first step to recovering a healthy and happy childhood is finding the space, freedom and encouragement to imagine, laugh and create.
More news from Playtime Poland, where each day we see timid and stressed children growing in confidence through play.
Thanks as ever to you, our supporters, who are making these kinds of transformations possible x
Back in Lesbos and - as you can hear in the video - conditions are dreadful. The camp goes right up to the shore, and it's wet, windy and cold beyond imagining.
Thank you for helping us share positive moments in a bleak and grey place. You can use the link in video to donate x
Here's our founder Ash with an inspirational interview on Australia's
@morningshowon7
! It makes us all the more excited looking forward to what we can achieve together this year x
UK-based charity
@FlyingSeagullUK
have travelled to 4 continents, 23 countries, and worked with 115,000 kids in refugee camps, slums and orphanages to bring smiles to those who need it most. 💕
#TMS7
Through the festive season, we're determined to make sure that children facing hardships know they haven't been forgotten.
And with your support, our teams in Poland have shared hope and happiness with nearly 5,000 children who've been evacuated from Ukraine.
"Never in my life have I laughed so much, I laughed the full 45 minutes of the show!"
Our Miles of Smiles tours bring emergency relief to children caught up in the worst hotspots of the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe.
Refugees who've fled Syria may have food and shelter but they've got little else. Without play and laughter, kids are losing their childhood. Thanks to your support, our Laughter to Lebanon project is changing this, one smile at a time.
We've finished our
#LaughterToLebanon
tour. We've brought 1000s of smiles back to children who've suffered unimaginable hardships & we're sad to be leaving. Thanks to
@Salam_LADC
,
@CatalyticAction
& all our supporters. Let's keep changing the world, one smile at a time 💛
We're back in Lebanon after three years. During this time the pandemic and a series of crises have pushed many into real difficulties.
Amid all of this, we need to make sure children aren't missing out on the positive experiences that can give them a chance at a better tomorrow.
We believe that food and shelter aren't enough. People should have a right to feel respected and valued. A show in our big top is our way of letting them know that you haven't forgotten and that together we recognise a common human need to be treated with dignity.
Our Non-Stop Big Top team have just finished a day of juggling and games with a Yazidi community in Greece. Now it's time for the kids to relax! When you think about what these children have gone through, a day of fun and games followed by a chance to relax is so important.
We're very excited to give you a heads up about this Flying Seagull documentary on
@bbcworldservice
this Tuesday!
We'll share it again when it's online, but here's the link if you want to listen to the live broadcast!
Benno and the team have arrived in Lebanon! The children woke up to the sound of our musicians before a day of shows and games, and were thrilled to see us again! These kids deserve the moments of magic, laughter and wonder that make a proper childhood.
This year you helped us return to the refugee camps of Greece, where we shared smiles with 7,000 children facing unimaginable hardships.
Let's make next year one of play, laughter and dignity for all. Happy new year to all of you and see you in 2022 x
We now declare The Flying Seagull Circus Shop OPEN! This is a shop with a difference: every penny of profit going directly to play & laughter projects worldwide, which means every bit of fun you get from our circus kit creates many more smiles where they're sorely missing.
Check out Rockstar Andy spreading some smiles in Lebanon!⠀
⠀
#LaughterToLebanon
is one of our biggest projects yet - last week alone the team saw over 2,800 children in refugee camps in the Beqaa Valley. A massive thank you to all our supporters who are making this possible x
A healthy and happy childhood is one that's filled with play and laughter.
We're determined to share smiles, respect and friendship wherever the right to a dignified and decent childhood isn't being respected.
Photo: Greece, winter 2021
One of our favourite photos from our work in Jordan this year - turning a rooftop into the circus in a show with Syrian refugees.
We need to encourage the creativity of every child with play, laughter and magic.
For 4yrs we've been working on Lesbos where 1000s of kids are growing up in tents & isoboxes. Instead of remembering a happy childhood they'll look back on a long stretch of fear & boredom. We can't let this happen. Thanks for helping us give them the joy & magic they deserve
This summer our Family Fun Fests are bringing the full Seagull experience to free community events for everyone!
With your support we're making sure every child we meet this summer will get a smile on their face and a happy memory to treasure.
Our Happiness Matters team is in Athens! There are still so many families here in desperate situations - fear and uncertainty, limited housing and education. And there's often nothing for children to do. This isn't just sad, it's also damaging. Let's put it right together x
It's amazing the difference that a few wigs and bow ties can make. Having the chance dress up and be silly is crucial to helping traumatised children feel safe and start getting back a proper childhood filled with play, laughter, magic and imagination
#LaughterToLebanon
We're now working in the largest refugee camp in Bulgaria, where children are growing up in a dire situation.
For the next two weeks, we're here making sure that every day, twice a day, these kids get a full dose of childhood, as they should - as is right, as is decent.
We're committed to supporting everyone everywhere who needs positive energy. We're doing all we can to keep our projects going remotely and send joy to kids in camps. But we also know how tough it is right here.
Our Covid-secure Flying Showmobile is now ready! After lockdown, the Showmobile's going to roll out across the UK to brighten what will be a difficult Christmas for many. And then we're going to take it to the refugee camps across Europe.
In Samos, thousands of people are living in a camp meant to shelter 640 people. This place is dirty, unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. This also means there isn't space for childhood. But we believe every child has the right to experience moments of magic and wonder.
Well worth turning
#BlackFriday
into
#GiveBackFriday
by checking out the store, where you can buy essentials to help refugees live with more comfort, safety and dignity. Thanks to our friends at
@HelpRefugees
for this great initiative.
Choose Love: the shop where you can spend hundreds, walk away with nothing, and feel great about it. Just 4 days to go! Let's turn Black Friday on it's head and buy gifts for the people who truly need them.
#GiveBackFriday
#ChooseLove
For
#charitytuesday
check out Bash's announcement for our
#HealthAndHappiness
project if you missed it first time round! We'll be bringing love and laughter to children caught up in the
#RohingyaCrisis
- more news on this soon
Ash has selected his highlights from the last 10 years for our Seagulls Ash-vent Calendar! Each day, we'll celebrate the season by posting a memory of the love and warmth you've helped us deliver. Thanks so much for all your support, and Merry Christmas!
Our
#MilesOfSmiles
team putting on a show in
#Samos
for child
#refugees
. It’s great to have the team providing welcome laughter for the kids, but it’s also wonderful to see some parents having the chance to smile and relax too!
More updates to come from our UK projects but here's a look back at some classic Seagull sunshine out in Romania in 2015!
Wherever we go, we're just after your laughter. Our only rule is that everyone's included and gets to share in the smiles together!
Our Showmobile summer tour is bringing fun and sun to kids across the country in need of an extra boost! This photo's from a show with kids who've sought refuge in the UK. We believe that play and laughter are the best way to make sure everyone's included and united in laughter!
1/8 We're NOW recruiting performers, clowns, play leaders, laughter enthusiasts and circus artists to join our team! We'll be running several training weeks this year but our first dates are 25-28 Feb, 10am to 4pm each day in South Wimbledon. Read on for more info....
Another half term means another Laugh 'n' Play project - we've got four teams sharing smiles across England!
We partner with food banks, community centres & disability support groups, to make sure every child benefits from fun, friendship and positive energy during the holidays.
As well as our work with children who've been resettled in the UK, we're also sharing smiles and laughter with children in asylum centres in the Netherlands.
Play should be the essential right of every child, not a luxury for some to enjoy and others to miss out on.
When kids are living under a growing cloud of gloom, we need to raise the noise, raise the energy, and raise up spirits with song and laughter.
That means more Seagull teams running more projects than ever before - but we can't do this without you.
We're back in Greece!
The children in refugee camps & accommodation centres are still not getting the care they need for a decent childhood with smiles, colour and laughter.
We won't accept this. So we're back here, sharing the love & energy you send us with friends old & new.
Moria camp couldn't be further from festive warmth. It's the worst camp in Europe, but today the unaccompanied minors surviving there got some of their childhood back. Thanks for all your support, and special thanks to the incredible
#BecauseWeCarry
who made today possible
Photo from a Seagull circus show in Lebanon! We were invited to put on a day of shows and games where children from Lebanon, Palestine and Syria can come together with their families and join us in play, laughter and friendship.
Thanks to all of you for your support!
Brilliant video from Bash in Samos last Sunday! Wherever we go, the first few days can be really difficult. We often meet children who are withdrawn or aggressive. In just five days, we've seen an amazing change. With your love and support we're making a difference.
One way you can support us is by hiring us for your party or event. You get the best entertainers, and all the money we make goes straight back to spreading love to marginalised and distressed children. Book a party that makes a difference, not a profit!
15 years ago this very week … the Seagulls first took flight!
A couple of clowns packed into a van and set off for Romania, to make sure kids facing loneliness or growing up in institutional care got something to giggle about and a reason to smile and feel hopeful.
Back in Greece, we’re sharing weekly shows and Seagull smiles with kids from Romany communities, to make sure no one we meet misses out on the magic and beauty of a playful childhood.
Another show in Bulgaria on our Miles of Smiles tour. Many of these children have fled war - some of them have had do so without their parents.
We believe play, laughter and care can help these kids start to recover some sense of a safe and happy childhood.
Update from Samos! The winter months make all the challenges of living in a refugee camp that much harder and we haven't been able to get the big top up yet. So we've started with the sort of games that bring a spark and give kids a chance to be children again.
Update from Ash and our team working with Ukrainian children who were evacuated to Poland!
World Down Syndrome Day was last week and we were at Europe's biggest centre for special education, sharing music, colour, dancing and songs For Fun's Sake.
Next month Benno's taking a team back to Lebanon! Last year you helped us give more than 10,000 kids there a chance of getting back their childhood. This year you're going to help us bring love, light & laughter to even more! Help us show them that their
#happinessmatters
Before we launch into our Miles of Smiles updates, we have a special thank you to Tobyn at
@belltent
. For years Tobyn's supported us by donating tents.
Tobyn's generosity has made a huge impact so send him some love! More news soon!
"That was just brilliant Ash, thanks so much. The kids loved it, and so did we. Wishing you every success this year, thanks so much from us all."
Did you know you can help us spread smiles worldwide this year by booking a Flying Seagull party?
You helped us share play, warmth and friendship with 2,287 children in Greece as they faced another winter spent in refugee camps. This year we're going to keep standing against all systems and situations that don't respect the right to a dignified, healthy and happy childhood.
Although it's fallen out of the news Greece is at the centre of the refugee crisis. Dangerous & overcrowded refugee camps are a humanitarian catastrophe. This is a disaster for the children caught up in it & we have to act. We're going to show them their
#happinessmatters
We don't like to ask often but we need help. Next month we're putting on Cirque du Samos until Xmas. Conditions in Samos are awful & we need to give these kids everything we can to get them through the winter. Anything you can spare will make a difference:
Across Europe kids are missing out on their childhoods. So Wolfy's just started our
#MilesOfSmiles2019
tour, to make sure they get to enjoy those vital moments of play & laughter, & know their
#happinessmatters
. Thanks to our supporters - next project will be announced on Sunday!
Ash has been telling
@kidscreen
about the work of the Flying Seagulls ahead of his appearance at next weeks
@CGMS2017
. If you're in Manchester on Tuesday (5th) keep an eye out for our captain of the childhood conservationists 😀
Here's the final announcement for our projects this year! The team want to tell you about the wonderful stuff we'll be doing here in the UK! Together we can make a huge difference in the lives of vulnerable children & we can't wait to keep you updated on everything we're doing!
Here are two of our Seagulls at a
#TheGreatestShowman
themed party! When you book with us, you get the best entertainers. You also support our charitable work with kids who need love, light and laughter! Book a party that makes a difference, not a profit:
Everywhere we go, we see children carrying the burden of premature adulthood. For these kids, play and laughter have become luxuries. This is unacceptable, but we can make a difference. Thanks to
#SamosVolunteers
and everyone at Alpha Centre who we've worked with this week.
This is it! The big top is up in Samos and we've started our schedule of shows, games and magic! You can hear the response in this video. This is the sound of children who are feeling loved, respected and valued. Thank you so much for making this happen x