Partnership

Starlight wins British F1® Allwyn Global Community Award to make hospital stays kinder for children

We're incredibly proud to be announced as the third recipient of the Formula 1® Allwyn Global Community Award at this weekend's British Grand Prix. 

This recognition comes with a transformational €100,000 donation from Allwyn AG, which will help us take an important step towards changing children's healthcare experiences for the better.

Thanks to this generous support, we'll be able to further our pioneering pilot project - the introduction of a Health Play Practice Educator role to embed play-informed care across the NHS, training up to 1,000 healthcare professionals to use play as a powerful tool to improve children's experiences and outcomes.

Alastair Ruxton, Chief Impact Officer at Allwyn UK and F1® Allwyn Global Community Award judge, said: "We are proud to award the F1® Allwyn Global Community Award to the Starlight Children's Foundation. As judges, we were impressed by their spirit of innovation and their pioneering approach to tackling healthcare-related trauma many children face. Allwyn is proud to champion this kind of bold, systemic change, and it demonstrates how the impact of our global programme extends far beyond the racetrack."

Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1 and F1® Allwyn Global Community Award judge, added: "At Formula 1®, we are committed to leveraging our platform to drive transformative change within our local communities. The Starlight Children's Foundation aligns closely with our broader social impact priorities, especially our commitment to using bold, innovative approaches to solve complex challenges in areas such as healthcare. Its new 'Health Play Practice Educator' role offers a scalable model for long-term impact."

Cathy Gilman, CEO, Starlight said: "We are thrilled and deeply honoured to receive the F1® Allwyn Global Community Award. Hospitals and medical procedures can be incredibly scary and traumatising for children, but our new role will help hospitalised children understand, cope, and heal. This incredible €100,000 donation from Allwyn will directly fund our ambition to make hospital stays kinder and treatments gentler for seriously ill children.”

July 2026