SmileSpotlight: Jaime Thurston

We all know that helping others not only benefits someone in need, but it also brings a great deal of happiness to ourselves. Most of us like to be able to do good in the world and make a difference, however big or small. Whether it be simply helping your Gran with her shopping home or running a marathon for charity, all help - great or small - is always appreciated by someone.

Jaime Thurston began her journey of helping others back in 2013. Now as the founder and CEO of the charity ‘52 Lives’ and ‘School of Kindness’ as well as the author of 'Kindness - the Little Thing That Matters Most', Jaime talks to Smile about what happiness means to her, who she’s been video calling recently and what her #littlesmileoftoday is.

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It may seem that happiness is more important in our lives than ever in the current situation the world finds itself in, but Jaime and her charity 52 Lives have been changing the lives of people and their families for 7 years with the total number of successful cases reaching 237 at the time of writing this. I ask Jaime what made her personally want to start 52 Lives. She tells me how “a young mum was looking for a rug to cover her broken floor so her children wouldn’t cut their feet”. “The more I learned about her, the more I wanted to help. She had escaped a bad domestic situation and was starting over again with her three children. After periods of homelessness – and even living in a garden shed – they finally had a home, but they had nothing and no one to help them”. After seeking support from her friends and family eager to help, Jaime was able to deliver a range of items for the young mum’s new house- “the day I delivered them, she was in tears”. Jaime goes on to explain the woman’s deepest gratitude and gratefulness “it wasn’t because of the things I was giving her, it was the fact that people cared about her”. Jaime talks about the incredible feeling she felt, as many of us do, as she left knowing she had made a difference to someone’s life “I felt incredible. I was on such a high”. Jaime knew she wanted to continue helping and so “at 5am one morning, with a toddler on my lap, I created a Facebook page and called it 52 Lives”. 52 Lives changes someone’s life every week of the year but Jaime explains its humble beginnings – “I thought it would be a little way for my friends and family to help people in need”. Now with “a global movement of almost 100,000 people who unite every week to change people’s lives”, 52 Lives has the support of former Prime minister David Cameron as well as royalty after being chosen by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as one of their ‘Forces for Change’, a handpicked selection of charities and organisations causing positive change across the world.

I ask Jaime why she thinks 52 Lives has gained so much support since its launch. She replies “I think because it’s a really simple – but powerful – way for people to help”. She adds “it’s very transparent, in that 100% of what people give goes to the people we help”. 52 Lives directly causes people's lives to change for the better and Jaime explains that “using real stories also helps people to feel connected, and more inspired to give”. Jaime also expresses her thanks for the support of Gala Bingo, the charity’s corporate partner who organise weekly special games on their website with all proceeds donated to the charity – “it wouldn’t be possible without them”.

Positivity, happiness and kindness is the beating heart of Smile and the main factors of our movement. When asked what these three words to her, Jaime tells us “being content, being grateful and doing whatever you can to help another human being”. With the outstanding number of lives Jaime has helped to change for the better, I ask her the impossible question of choosing a favourite success story. She tells me of how she and the charity helped a “woman who was an asylum seeker. She had been raped and was heavily pregnant and homeless.” After setting up a wishlist for the woman, where supporters of the charity can purchase items from to help the individual Jaime tells me “it was all bought in minutes”. She goes onto explain how she was warmed by this particular experience - “I know asylum can be a controversial issue for some, so I was heartened by the kindness that was shown by so many people”.

I think we can all agree at the moment with the current situation, the future is highly unpredictable. I ask Jaime where she sees 52 Lives in the future – “I try not to think too much about the future, as I never want fixed plans to close me off to new ideas or opportunities that come up”. She tells me though of her hopes that “52 Lives carries on changing lives and spreading kindness long into the future” as well as “continually expanding our School of Kindness and offering more ways for schools and children to get involved in what we do”.

These times of social distancing and isolation have challenged all of us to be more reflective on our lives as well as begin to appreciate the little things in our temporarily changed lives. I ask Jaime what her biggest achievement has been and with her initial reply of – “that’s a hard one!”, she goes on to tell me “I think probably, at a very personal level, reaching the point that I have in my life and feeling how I feel about myself, and how I feel about what I do, is a big achievement for me” she adds, “I used to be very externally focussed and always worried about what other people thought. I don’t anymore. It’s incredibly freeing”. I also ask Jaime what was the last thing to make her laugh, something that seems that little bit more important than it did before – “my husband – no matter what’s going on he always lightens the mood and makes me laugh so many times a day”. Video chatting has taken off more than ever before in recent months with so many people seeking the comfort of loved ones in this anxious time. Jaime tells me about the last video call she made to her “mum and dad. They live in Australia and are self-isolating at the moment”.

Finally, I asked Jaime what her #littlesmileoftoday is. At Smile, we like to appreciate everything and anything that makes you happy, however big or small, important or silly. We believe that taking the time to appreciate what makes you happy, will not only boost your mood in the short term but will also open your mind even more to happiness in the long term. Jaime tells me of her #littlesmileoftoday – “I woke up to an email from someone we’re helping this week, saying ‘you’ll never know how special you are to me’ ” Jaime adds it “was a beautiful way to start the day”.

Happiness and the act of spreading kindness are such simple concepts yet they fascinate and capture the hearts and minds of so many people across the world. Finding what makes yourself happy is just as important as finding how to make the person next to you happy, be it a family member or a total stranger. This is exactly what Jaime and her team at 52 Lives help to achieve. With a different life changed for the better every week, Jaime and her global community are an inspiration to all.

What could you do today to make a positive impact on someone’s life?