Partners

LOOK UP! Aspire and Starlight - Changing the view of children's treatment

Lighting design company Aspire and Starlight have formed a new partnership, bringing together two organisations with a shared interest in improving the experience of children in healthcare environments. 

Aspire’s illuminated image panels are used extensively within healthcare spaces, where engaging imagery can contribute to more welcoming environments and provide health play specialists, parents and clinical teams with visual tools for engagement and distraction during a child’s healthcare experience. (Image above: Evelina Children's Hospital, part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust) 

Creating more welcoming healthcare spaces

As part of the partnership, Starlight will become Aspire’s Charity of the Year for 2026 and 2027, with Aspire committing to an annual charitable donation equivalent to 0.5% of its net profit after tax. 

Aspire and Starlight also plan to develop a dedicated collection of Starlight illustrations for use within Aspire’s illuminated wall and ceiling image panels. 

Healthcare clients choosing one of these illustrations for a project will pay a licence fee for its use, with 100% of the licence fee paid to Starlight. 

According to Starlight's Causes of Trauma Report, 2025, 46% of children said distraction stopped them thinking about what was happening during treatment. Aspire’s illuminated panels bring bright and colourful distraction to treatment spaces, making experiences better and more enjoyable for children. 

Importantly, the partnership will extend beyond financial support. 

Aspire regularly delivers CPD seminars to architects, electrical engineers and other design and project professionals involved in the creation of healthcare environments. Through this programme, Aspire will also help raise awareness of Starlight’s work, research and advocacy for play in healthcare, bringing its findings directly to professionals involved in designing spaces for children. 

Spreading the word among other designers

This includes highlighting findings from our Causes of Trauma report within Aspire’s healthcare CPD programme, helping design teams consider the experiences of children in healthcare alongside the physical design of the spaces in which their care takes place. 

Dane Duffy, Director at Aspire, said: “There is a really natural connection between Starlight’s work and what we are trying to achieve within healthcare environments. 

“Engaging imagery can give health play specialists, parents and clinical teams something they can use to interact with and distract children, particularly during procedures. It’s an area where the work Starlight does and the environments we help create fit together incredibly well.

"We regularly engage with the architects, engineers and project teams designing healthcare environments, so we can help raise awareness of Starlight’s research and advocacy while also bringing a dedicated collection of their illustrations into healthcare spaces through our products."

Dane Duffy, Director at Aspire

The partnership will also see Aspire supporting the Starlight Health Play Awards on November 10 2026, which recognise the contribution of health play professionals working with children in healthcare. As part of its support, Aspire have sponsored the event and provided two LED image panel prizes.  

Bringing children’s needs into healthcare design

Nicola Wilson, Head of Corporate Fundraising at Starlight said: “Healthcare can be frightening for children, and both the environment around them and opportunities to play can make a real difference to how they feel and the experiences they have. 

“We’re delighted to be working with Aspire, building a partnership that truly aligns with the ambitions of both organisations. The connection is clear, and Aspire is supporting Starlight not only with financial contributions towards our work but also weaving in our ambitions for better healthcare experiences for children into every aspect of their business.  

"This partnership offers an opportunity to incorporate children’s needs into the design of healthcare spaces to further improve children's experiences of healthcare. By sharing our research and raising awareness of the importance of play through Aspire, hopefully others will consider how design in these environments can support children to feel safe, reassured and more in control.” - Nicola Wilson

Chris Taylor, Managing Director of Aspire, said: “We’re proud to partner with Starlight, whose work shares our commitment to improving children’s experiences of healthcare. We want this partnership to go beyond financial support, using our relationships with architects, engineers and healthcare design teams to raise awareness of Starlight’s research and the importance of play. 

“We’re also excited to develop a collection of Starlight illustrations for our illuminated panels, creating opportunities for engagement and distraction while raising funds for the charity’s vital work.” 

November 2026