Families enjoy Aylesbury charity's annual 'Year in a Day' event supporting children with critical conditions
An Aylesbury-based charity supporting children with critical or terminal conditions held its annual uplifting celebration.
Ashmead School hosted a 24-hour celebration organised by Emmett’s Genies which saw 18 families and volunteers try to fit a year’s worth of joy into one day.
Children with serious illnesses got to enjoy all the best annual celebrations in the British calendar at the charity’s Year in a Day event.
From hour to hour they went from experiencing a Valentine’s Day, a Christmas party, Easter celebrations, and a spooky Halloween hour.
“Our brave kids and their families will have missed many if not all these celebrations during their treatment, throughout their childhood, due to hospital stays which often separates families, ill health and isolation,” the charity says.
"Some of these kids will sadly, not see another of these celebrations so we are providing them all with a “bonus year”.”
Emmett's Genies is named after and inspired by Emmett O'Farrell, an Aylesbury student who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer aged just two. Emmett has entered remission and attends the school in Aylesbury.
His mum, Amy Scullard, founded the charity to try and replicate the way US organisation, Give Kids the World, provides critically-ill children “unique and wondrous” experiences. Its overall aim is to one day open a ‘kids’ village’ in a similar vein to the Florida charity’s retreat.
At the Year in Day celebration, which took place across Saturday and Sunday, children could participate with face-painting, Easter crafts, classic cars were arranged for the event, alongside a life-sized Bluey.
Other annual highlights include a series of interactive games, a Santa’s grotto area and a spooky Halloween zone.
A number of Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire-based businesses, institutions, and organisations supported the event in different ways. Opus provided meals to families and volunteers throughout.
4Minutes Training helped with first aid training and guidance. Other companies and schools put themselves forward to sponsor specific segments of the event such as the Easter or Halloween sections.
Information on how to support the charity can be found online here. Emmett’s Genies posted highlights of its 24-hour event in 2025, which can be viewed online here.