At Formula 1's British Grand Prix, Starlight Children’s Foundation were awarded the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award, an accolade that will help them to further their positive approach to children’s hospital care.

Starlight works to protect the childhoods of children in healthcare, recognising the power of play in preventing healthcare-related trauma.

They were commended by the panel of judges for their spirit of innovation, which helps children understand, cope, and heal in the face of complex health challenges.

Allwyn, a multi-national lottery and gaming company, will donate €100,000 to the charity.

Alastair Ruxton, Chief Impact Officer at Allwyn UK, said: “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.”

This donation will fund Starlight’s new project, the introduction of ‘Health Play Practice Educators’ across the NHS, a role that would embed consistent play-informed care.

The British GP attracts a huge global audience, and through this Allwyn and F1 have helped to shine a spotlight on the importance of the wellbeing of children and their families - demonstrating that elite sport can be used as a catalyst to raise awareness of issues that matter beyond competition.

Starlight’s Laura Walsh, director of play in healthcare, said: “[Sport] is a way in which we as adults tap into play, and we have that feeling of everything disappearing, anything stressing us out just isn’t on our radar.

“And it can help to remind us as adults of why that’s so important for children.”

F1 isn’t just about performance and innovation on track, but also about inspiring positive change in the communities in which it operates.

Jonny Wright, director of income generation and engagement for Starlight, said: “It brings people together, even across rivalries - you still get rival teams, rival sports personalities, but they can still come together for good.”

The award was brought about as part of a multi-year partnership between Allwyn and F1, with the shared commitment to drive positive change and give back to communities.

Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1 and F1 Allwyn Global Community Award judge, said: “At Formula 1, we are committed to leveraging our platform to drive transformative change within our local communities.”

Starlight was awarded this accolade on one of F1’s biggest stages, receiving a trophy that was a bespoke handcrafted design from the Creative Director of world-renowned Czech glassworks Moser, Jan Plecháč.

Starlight Children’s Foundation is the third organisation to receive this recognition across the 2026 F1 season, with four more awards over the rest of the season in the Netherlands, Austin, Mexico City, and Las Vegas.