I am a full-time care worker at the Scott’s Project in Tonbridge, England, where I support disabled adults of various ages. I have worked in care for the past 12 years and hold an NV qualification in health care. Helping people has always been at the heart of who I am, both professionally and personally. In the future, I would love to expand my skills further into mental health work and learn grief counselling, as supporting others through difficult times is something I feel deeply passionate about.
This passion naturally led me to create Jim’s Smile Project. The idea first came to life in April 2019 while I was sitting in a recording studio in Kent. I wanted to create a charity CD to support a mental health charity close to my heart, West Kent Mind. For two years prior, I had already been fundraising for them through gig nights and quiz nights. From that spark of an idea, The Beautiful Smile Album was born.
I decided to turn this into a bigger project because I have been fundraising since I was 17 years old, and I wanted one place where people could follow my events and efforts. Over the years, I have supported many causes, including charities abroad in Uganda and Morocco. In the UK, I’ve fundraised for a teenage cancer charity, a local hospice, muscular dystrophy, West Kent Mind, and a local hospital radio station in Kent.
Along the way, I’ve experienced some incredible highs. I’ve been interviewed by BBC Radio Kent and BBC South East, and I was once named “Hero of the Week” after a DJ found one of my random acts of kindness cards in a local park. Jim’s Smile Project is all about spreading kindness, making people smile, and raising money for charities. I help people simply because it feels right. I don’t do it for recognition or praise—the reward is in knowing I’ve made someone’s day a little brighter.
From the age of 17, I’ve always felt drawn to helping others. I knew early on that I wasn’t going to be a doctor or a lawyer, so I chose to use what I do have—a kind heart and a willingness to help. Kindness, to me, is one of the most important things we can offer the world.
The Smile Cards became a key part of Jim’s Smile Project around July 2019, during the time COVID-19 lockdowns began. I started leaving them in public places, and the response from people across my county was overwhelming and incredibly positive. That encouragement pushed me to keep going. Knowing that something so simple could have such a big impact means everything to me.
People have shared stories of finding the cards during really hard moments—after losing a beloved pet, while struggling with anxiety, or on days when they simply needed a reminder that someone cared. Each card asks how they are and sends them a hug, a smile, luck, and happiness. The message has always stayed the same, even though the design has evolved. Today, the card features a large heart with the words “Random Acts of Kindness” on the front.
I leave the cards in parks and other unexpected places so people can discover them when they least expect it. My dream is for these cards to go worldwide, spreading smiles far beyond the UK. I hope to volunteer in the USA, South America, and Asia, and to set up projects that support poor communities around the world.
None of this would be possible without the support of my family and friends. They have stood by me through quiz nights and gig nights, donated cards and sweets to include in the Smile Cards, and helped in countless ways. I am especially grateful to my mum, who has been a huge help at events, as well as my sisters and brothers-in-law, who have always supported me and donated raffle prizes.
Two of my biggest supporters have been my friends Tim and Sophia, who live in Kent and run Seaview Studios in Folkestone. They played a vital role in producing The Beautiful Smile Album for West Kent Mind, and their support has meant so much to me.
Helping others gives me an incredible buzz, and it’s something I’m truly passionate about. Today, my Smile Cards are being sent all over the world, including the USA, Canada, Ireland, Uganda, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. Some of my most meaningful memories come from Uganda, where I supported a charity called AFFCAD in the slums of Kampala. There, I helped support children and families affected by AIDS, assisted in teaching at their school, and handed out mosquito nets.
I’ve also supported children in Morocco through orphanage work, helping young people from the age of two right up to eighteen. In June, I raised £1,000 for the NHS during COVID-19, when support was more important than ever. Through an online gig called Songs for Scrubs, which featured 26 singers, we raised funds to provide scrubs, teas, coffees, and foot creams for nurses and doctors. I was supported in this effort by my colleague and fellow care worker, Claire Tilley.
Additionally, I sent 39 Smile Cards to Brainstrust UK, a charity that supports people living with brain cancer and tumours. I continue to raise awareness of Jim’s Smile Project because I see firsthand how much happiness it brings to people’s lives. That’s why I created Instagram and Facebook pages—to help the smiles spread even further.
Kindness has always been my purpose, and as long as I can, I’ll keep finding ways to make people smile.
