Always With A Smile

Since 2008, the foundation has been a fixture at the World Egg Throwing Championships where Joel acts as the target in the 'Accuracy Championships'. Entrants get 3 eggs to 'toss' at the target from 8 yards... scoring 1 point if they hit the arms or legs, 2 for the body and 3 for the groin!

To burn off a few of the excess Christmas Calories from an over-indulgent festive season, in January 2022 the foundation visited Matlock in the Peak District to take part in a 'January Jaunt' around Lumsdale Waterfall. With Jessica-pup leading the way, and 'Smiler' Alex Higginson taking a hilarious fall, it certainly was a fun-packed day!

It had been a tradition for the foundation to make the trip to Mappleton, in Derbyshire, each New Years Day, to celebrate the start of the new year by taking part in their world famous boat race and bridge jump. Unfortunately, due to apparent vandalism of the bridge, the event was cancelled in 2021, and for the foreseeable future... and as such, the new year was ushered in, in 2022, with 'Happy Nude Year' a midnight nip into the lake at AWAS-HQ!

The 'In It For A Minute' Boxing Day Dip is a tradition for all 'Smilers'... each year, when we're all fat, full and (possibly) slightly worse for wear after Christmas Day, 'Smilers' all across the UK take on the challenge of bearing the code for just one minute!

Having 'fire-walked' on several occasions in the past, Always With A Smile visited Myton Hospices in November 2021 to undertake another hot footed challenge, with a view to qualifying as a Firewalking Instructor in 2022 with UK Firewalk. Feeling hot, hot, hot!

After nearly two years away following the Covid-19 outbreak, Always With A Smile returned to 'making the world a happier place' at the 2021 Battersea Muddy Dogs Challenge. Taking to the 5km course with Joel's four-year old Springer Spaniel Jessica, it felt so good to be back doing what we do best!

In 2006, Always With A Smile founder Joel Hicks travelled to Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales to take part in what would become the foundations first ever event. After performing a 'Bog Snorkelling' Haka, Joel then swam (usuing flipper-power alone) two consecutive lengths of the 60 yards water-filled that makes up the championship course, wearing just a traditional snorkel, mask and flippers.

In 2019, the foundation organised its own 'Bucket List' experience with a truly exhilarating multi-adventure experience in South Africa. Beginning with a visit to a big-cat sanctuary, the main feature of trip was two days of cage-diving with Great White Sharks, before finishing with a spectacular trek up Table Mountain!

In 2018, the foundation travelled to China to trek along various sections of the Great Wall. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, during this trek we travelled along both old sections of the Great Wall, as well as restored sections with smooth flagstones and lots of steps!

In late December 2017, the foundation took on one of its toughest challenges to date... reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Following the Machame route, over the course of five days we finally reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) on New Years Day, in what was one of the most incredible, challenging and exhilarating experiences any individual could experience.

The Amazon Rainforest is the world’s largest tropical rainforest, famed for its biodiversity, and following the foundations trek of the Inca Trail in 2017, we immediately went on to explore the beauty and wonders of this incredible ecosystem and its wildlife. This truly was an experience that will never be forgotten by everyone involved.

In 2017, the foundation once again teamed up with 'Discover Adventure' to embark on one of the most amazing and life-affirming trips in the world, trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This ten day trip (five days trekking) followed a route which took us up through lush cloudforest to the demanding Dead Woman’s Pass (4200m), before finally arriving at the Sun Gate, which overlooks Machu Picchu.

After the blistering heat of the Sahara Desert in 2016, just a few months later the foundations 'Bucket List' event series continued with an 'Arctic Adventure', which was once again organised by the travel company 'Discover Adventure'. The trip involved cross-country skiing, walking in snow shoes, building igloo's and husky-dog sledging... and it was so much fun!

In 2016, the 'Always With A Smile' foundation embarked on its first ever 'Bucket List' event with the travel company 'Discover Adventure'. Over the course of five days, we trekked 100km through the stunning Sahara Desert, Morocco with a caravan of camels and Berber's as our guides. This was an incredible experience, and the perfect way to launch the foundations 'Bucket List' series.