Starlight

Earlier this year The Neumark Foundation were delighted to approve funding of £22,000 for Starlight, a fantastic organisation that uses the power of play to make the experience of illness and treatment better for children and families. They support the most poorly children in the UK and create moments of escape from the reality which seriously ill children find themselves in. Their aims are to delight and distract, entertain and enlighten in order to try and restore a smile to their faces.

The £22,000 paid for 10 ‘RockinR’ gaming carts across 5 settings in North Wales:

  • Abergele Hospital
  • Glan Clwyd Hospital
  • Ty Gobaith Hospice
  • Wrexham Maelor
  • Ysbyty Gwynedd Hospital

We were overwhelmed to receive this report of their overall findings after collating feedback from healthcare and support staff. Along with families.

Starlight, you are amazing, we are proud to support you.

Overall Findings

When looking at feedback provided by healthcare settings:

  • 100% agreed that TheRockinR creates a more positive healthcare experience for children
  • 100% agreed that TheRockinR helps to distract children
  • 100% agreed that TheRockinR is something for children to look forward to
  • 100% agreed that TheRockinR contributes to a feeling of normality
  • 88% agreed that TheRockinR offers children an opportunity to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have
  • 88% agreed that TheRockinR helped to improve recovery
  • 56% agreed that TheRockinR helps children socialise with others in their healthcare setting
  • 56% agreed that TheRockinR is accessible to children with high support needs (e.g. neurodivergent conditions such as autism or learning disabilities)

The Impact of ‘TheRockinR’ on Children’s Wellbeing:

  • Having fun and feeling happy increases by 89% while using TheRockinR.
  • Feeling anxious, afraid and in pain decreases by 89% while using TheRockinR.
  • Children continue to feel happier and more relaxed after using TheRockinR.
Children's Wellbeing 1
Children's Wellbeing 2

Combined Original:

Children's Wellbeing 3

Combined w/ marked lines:

Children's Wellbeing 4

North Wales: TheRockinR

TheRockinR has been accessed by children approximately 5800 times across the 5 sites.

  • Abergele NWAS
    Abergele NWAS
  • Ysbyty Glwynedd
    Ysbyty Glwynedd
  • Wrexham Maelor Hospital
    Wrexham Maelor Hospital
  • Glan Clwyd Hospital
    Glan Clwyd Hospital
  • Ty Gobaith
    Ty Gobaith

Glan Clwyd Hospital

  • Glan Clwyd Hospital received TheRockinRs in March 2022.
  • They reported that each cart is used around 23 times a week.
  • From March-Present, TheRockinR has been used approximately 1288 times in this hospital.

Impact on children and young people:

  • It creates a more positive healthcare experience for children
  • It helps to distract children
  • It is something for children to look forward to
  • It contributes to a feeling of normality
  • It offers children an opportunity to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have
  • It helped to improve recovery

Impact on staff and parents:

  • It helps develop a relationship between staff and children
  • It makes treatment easier to complete
  • It gave parents an opportunity to rest/relax

It was also observed in children that:

  • Feelings of anxiety, afraid, unwell and pain all decreased while using TheRockinR and these feelings did not come back immediately after using it.
  • Instead, children had fun and felt happy and relaxed while using TheRockinR. Children continued to feel happy immediately after using it, and it helped them feel relaxed in the long-term.
It is a bit of normality for some, [and] something new for others, but fun and enjoyable for all. The parents can relax knowing their child is happy, occupied, and enjoying their game on the console. It is brilliant to be able to offer something that is relevant and up to date with the children and young people that have come to the hospital.
Joanna Teal
– Play Team- Leader, Glan Clwyd Hospital

Ty Gobaith Hospice

This is often used as a reward or quiet time for our children, it gives them control in another world which they might not have a lot of in the real world. This has been very useful for the siblings who are resident because their sibling is receiving end of life care. It’s time for them, a distraction and some normality. It gives the staff the opportunity to catch up with paperwork when a child is playing with TheRockinR  
Diane Lloyd
– Play Team- Leader, Ty Gobaith Hospice

Wrexham Maelor Hospital

  • Wrexham Maelor Hospital received TheRockinRs in March 2022.
  • They reported that each cart is used around 12 times a week.
  • From March-Present, TheRockinRs have been used approximately 672 times in this hospital.

Impact on children and young people:

  • It creates a more positive healthcare experience for children
  • It helps to distract children
  • It is something for children to look forward to
  • It is accessible to children with high support needs (e.g. neurodiverse conditions such as autism or learning disabilities)
  • It contributes to a feeling of normality
  • It offers children an opportunity to do something they otherwise wouldn’t have
  • It helped to improve recovery

Impact on staff and parents:

  • It helps develop a relationship between staff and children
  • It makes treatment easier to complete
  • It gave parents an opportunity to rest/relax
It’s a great resource to be able to offer, and allows the play team to have modern equipment to offer patients. [It] has helped them with boredom due to still only being allowed one parent on the ward [at a time] due to Covid.
Emma Cunnah-Newell
– “      Play Team- Coordinator, Wrexham Maelor Hospital