STARLIGHT CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION OVER 12,000 CHILDREN ARE ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL EVERY DAY IN THE UK, AND THEY ALL NEED PLAY AND DISTRACTION, WHICH ARE CRUCIAL FOR THEIR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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tarlight Children’s Foundation is the national charity that aims to provide vital play in hospitals for every child. Having access to play in hospitals is key in aiding recovery, alleviating anxiety, and making fun possible in the most unlikely circumstances. Starlight provides hospital services, bringing play and entertainment to children receiving treatment and staying in hospital. Life in hospital isn’t easy, especially when you’re young. It can not only be scary and
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isolating but during the pandemic there are heightened anxiety levels with unfamiliar wards and staff in additional PPE. Starlight provides boxes to hospitals filled with games designed to distract and aid recovery. Distraction Boxes contain toys and games specially chosen to ease children’s fears when they are worried about medical procedures. Boost Boxes contain toys, games and art materials from stress balls to slime, playing cards to puzzles, to help children laugh and learn while in hospital. Research shows that there is a disproportionately higher number of children and young people living in deprivation admitted to hospital than the general population. This group of children are also more likely to experience the long-lasting effects of hospitalisation than other
children. That’s why it’s so important that Starlight has a particular focus on reaching hospitals in these areas of the UK to ensure play is available to all children, irrespective of their backgrounds. Despite the pandemic, Starlight hopes to distribute even more boxes over the next 12 months and has created new storytelling boxes, seasonal boxes and products that create immersive experiences for children including promotion of physical activities. For more information visit Starlight’s website at www.starlight.org.uk
