On Sunday 11th February 2024, a group of young YouTube fanatics had an incredible opportunity to meet The Sidemen at a very special event. 

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Bright Side and Rays of Sunshine granted the wishes of seven young people aged between 10 and 18 with a morning of fun at entertainment venue Gravity in Wandsworth. Together with the Sidemen, they took part in a range of activities including bowling, darts and more arcade games than you can imagine! 

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Rays of Sunshine is a charity that brightens the lives of seriously ill children in the UK by granting wishes. Each of the young people invited to the day have a special relationship with the Sidemen and their videos. The group have provided them with an escape; entertainment during hospital visits or appointments, laughter when life has felt tough and feel like they are hanging out with their friends. 

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The event kicked off around 10:30am with the Sidemen meeting the wish teens and their families. They signed posters and took photos together before heading off in small groups to the activities. The wish teens were able to spend time with each of the Sidemen  to chat and challenge! KSI, Tobi and Simon took the teens on at bowling, Vik and Josh were on darts and Harry and Ethan were in their element in the arcade. 

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Bright Side are privileged to work with Rays of Sunshine to provide these special events that bring so much joy to young people and create very special memories for their families. 

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The Sidemen are passionate about growing their charity work through Bright Side and supporting their fans and the community. Here’s what the wish teens had to say about their day. 

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Yuvraj's (13) mum, Surjeet:

"I think Yuvraj was a bit starstruck to start with. He obviously has so much admiration for these people, and they’ve been with him through some of the toughest times of his life – even if they don’t know it."

"In that moment, Toby made my son feel like the most important person in the world."

"I think honestly his face was hurting from all the smiling he was doing. Getting home, I think he was just exhausted from having such a good time."

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Brandon (16):

"With my cancer, I went through some really dark times, but whenever I watched their videos I could escape for a bit and just laugh and have fun."

"I think because I have been watching them for such a long time, it kind of felt like I was meeting up with friends."

"It was so nice to be included. I just had to walk over to a new activity and the boys would make space for me and loop me into the game. They had so much time for all of us and it made me feel special."

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Gravity's Luke Miles said ‘It was a pleasure to host the children,  Rays of Sunshine, Bright Side and the Sidemen at Gravity. At Gravity's core, it's about having fun and making memories with friends, family and peers. Feedback from the kids was fantastic, and we're honoured to be part of their special day’.  

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Bright Side and Rays of Sunshine would like to express a huge thank you to the team at Gravity for not only providing the space and catering for this event but for the additional support in making it so special for all involved. 

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