Remember a Charity week: A future of smiles

Terry Smith is a long-term supporter and father of three, from Penrith in Cumbria. He told us how his own childhood inspired him to write a child’s smile into his will.

“I grew up in the 60s in a small town where everyone knew each other. I first became aware of Save the Children when I was about five or six years old. I did a door-to-door collection with my mum for the new Save the Children charity shop that was coming to our town.

It was through Save the Children that I learned that many children were not as fortunate as I was, and crucially, I learned that it didn’t have to be that way.

Leaving Save the Children a gift in my will is my way of ensuring that they will continue to do whatever it takes for children in the decades ahead.”

Terry is leaving children like Moussa a brighter future

Moussa’s childhood has been very different to Terry’s. Originally from Senegal, Moussa was sent away to a religious school by his father, where he was beaten regularly.

He ended up on the streets, without shoes and having to beg for food. Eventually, he was led to a centre supported by Save the Children, which sits on the outskirts of the capital, Dakar, and was created to protect children who are at risk.

“I feel comfortable in this centre […] they are very kind and helpful to the children,” says Moussa.

Thanks to supporters like Terry, Moussa gets to play football with his friends every day. He dreams of becoming a firefighter, so that he can go on to help people in the future.

By remembering Save the Children in his will, Terry is helping make sure that vulnerable children in the UK and around the globe are protected, get the chance to learn and have a reason to smile.