About us

Starlight is the UK’s leading charity working to ensure no child experiences trauma in healthcare. We do this by putting play at the heart of every child’s healthcare. We make play possible, we make it better, and we make it matter.

Healthcare is a scary world for children, and treatment can be terrifying, painful, and oftentimes traumatic. If children are scared or apprehensive about treatment, they are less resilient and less receptive to getting the help they need.

If children have a negative healthcare experience, this can develop into trauma that hinders recovery and takes a toll on their long-term mental health. At Starlight, we believe that healthcare should be healing, not harmful.

By incorporating play into children’s healthcare, we can minimise harm and protect children from trauma.

Our approach:

• We make play possible – by providing toys and resources that frontline healthcare professionals can use to support children receiving medical care.
• We make play better – by supporting healthcare professionals with training and education around play in children’s healthcare.
• We make play matter – by influencing and campaigning for change to embed play in health services across the country.

Play in healthcare isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Through play, we transform children’s health by taking the scare out of healthcare.