Starlight Children's Foundation has been named the British winner of the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award at the FORMULA 1 PIRELLI BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2026 at Silverstone, United Kingdom. The charity, which supports critically ill children in hospital by providing play, laughter, and activities they love during treatment, will receive €100,000 from Allwyn AG, the multinational lottery-led entertainment company whose UK subsidiary operates The National Lottery. The award will help Starlight expand its innovative approach to children's care.
The Challenge of Healthcare-Related Trauma
Many children in the UK struggle with the emotional weight of medical care. Approximately 1.4 million children are vulnerable to healthcare-related trauma, according to the charity. For a child, fear can feel overwhelming, often leading to deep distress that makes their treatment journey harder and leaves lasting marks on their wellbeing. Starlight creates moments of escape from these difficult situations through play and activities.
Funding a Pioneering Pilot Project
The €100,000 donation from Allwyn will further Starlight's pioneering pilot project: introducing a new 'Health Play Practice Educator' role to embed consistent play-informed care across the NHS. This role will provide activities and experiences to help children cope with hospital stays. The funding will also facilitate training for up to 1,000 professionals in specialized care. The judging panel commended Starlight for its spirit of innovation—a value shared by both Allwyn and Formula 1—as well as the project's scalability and potential for other organizations to replicate.
Quotes from Key Figures
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.”
Cathy Gilman, CEO of 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.”
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.”
Third Winner in 2026
Starlight Children's Foundation is the third non-profit to be recognized by the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award in 2026. Following a highly successful inaugural year in 2025, this year's programme launched in May with Canadian charity La Tablée des Chefs winning the first award at the FORMULA 1 LENOVO GRAND PRIX DU CANADA for its vital work in fighting food insecurity by recovering and redistributing meals to vulnerable families. Last week, Allwyn awarded Austrian non-profit Sindbad Mentoring at the FORMULA 1 LENOVO AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2026 to supercharge its mission to level the playing field for young people, boost social mobility, and inspire them to pursue dream career pathways, especially in STEM.
