Starlight uses the power of play to improve physical, social, emotional and mental wellbeing during a child’s illness.
Playing, for children, is surpassed in importance only by the need to be loved, cared for and nourished. Insufficient and inadequate play provision can be profoundly detrimental, affecting children’s happiness, health and future life chances. The modern world has erected many barriers, and children all too often find their play marginalised, undermined or compromised by adult concerns. This is never more so than when a child is admitted to hospital where the primary focus is often the treatment of the illness rather than looking after a scared child with gentleness, kindness, good communication and a respect for their voice. Starlight Children’s Foundation protects the space, opportunity and permission for children to play in hospital – protecting their right to play.
How we have supported Starlight
Starlight knows from existing studies that some hospitals have looked at how technology can be used in facilitating the delivery of treatment. Feedback from families also highlights that greater access to technology is the single-most improvement that could be made to the hospital experience.
This project will give children access to gaming, meaning they can be absorbed in alternative realities to have fun, improve wellbeing, and create meaningful connections with health professionals and other children. This will help children to escape the reality and routine of treatment, transform the hospital environment to something they look forward to being in, improve their engagement with treatment and improve recovery, whilst supporting them to socially connect and combat isolation.
The Neumark Foundation’s support will enable Starlight to provide 10 gaming carts, designed specifically for the challenges of hospitals, to health settings across North Wales. The resource has been developed from first-hand experience of the multiple challenges faced by children and their families in hospital and are custom-built for the medical environment. This means that they are incredibly durable, ultra-mobile and designed to be easily cleaned, promoting infection control and very importantly they do not depend upon wifi connection. Each cart helps healthcare professionals and play specialists to provide much needed play and recreation to children and young people spending time in hospital or visiting as an outpatient.
