The 2021 Starlight Impact Report is out now.
Despite the uncertainties of Covid-19, the Starlight team rose to the challenges and opportunities of the year with positivity and determination.
Inspired by our role as Protectors of Play, together we’ve continued to find new ways to meet the needs of seriously ill children, their families and health professionals by listening and learning.
Here’s some of our highlights:
Hospital play and distraction
Hospitals can be an isolating, scary and anxious place to be for us all, but particularly for children.
This year, we have continued to adapt our services, found innovative ways of ensuring the pandemic doesn’t stop us delivering play and introduced new types of resources to hospitals.
In 2021, we have focused on hospitals in areas of multiple deprivation. These areas have limited access to play services which results in an inadequate hospital experience for children and parents.
Children Reached
Escapes, Breaks and Days
Positive social connections with people at all stages of life help to ensure healthy development, both physically and emotionally, and that’s what we aim to achieve with our programme of Starlight Escapes, Breaks and Days.
In 2021, we were delighted to resume our in-person events. We invited families to our first-ever Summer Festival, hosted families in specially adapted cottages at Brickhouse Farm, a day-out to Legoland, and a football day at The FA’s national training centre, St George’s Park.
We also continued providing our virtual parties and events as the pandemic showed us how important it is to reach families where they are most comfortable – at home.
I would like to say a big thank you to Starlight's supporters. You have provided the children with such appropriate equipment to enable them to have fun and do what children do best which is to play.
