SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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. The charity, which helps critically ill children in hospital play, laugh and do the things they love while receiving treatment, has been awarded €100,000 from Allwyn AG, the multi-national lottery-led entertainment company whose UK subsidiary operates The National Lottery. The Award will help Starlight to further its innovative approach to children’s care.
Many children in the UK are struggling with the emotional weight of medical care, with around 1.4 million vulnerable to healthcare-related trauma*. For a child, fear can feel overwhelming, often leading to deep distress that can make their treatment journey much harder and leave lasting marks on their wellbeing. However, Starlight creates moments of escape from these difficult situations.
The €100,000 donation from Allwyn will further Starlight’s pioneering pilot project - the introduction of the new ‘Health Play Practice Educator’ role to embed consistent play-informed care across the NHS, through activities and experiences. It will also facilitate the training of up to 1,000 professionals in specialised care. Starlight was commended by the judging panel 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 organisations to replicate.
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, 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."
Starlight Children's Foundation is the third non-profit to be recognised 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 their dream career pathways, especially in STEM.
More NGOs will be recognised across the Grand Prix race locations this season in the Netherlands, Austin, Mexico City and Las Vegas. Later in the year, Formula 1® fans will have the chance to cast their vote on their favourite winning initiatives as part of Allwyn’s plan to bring these fans closer to the programme.
Notes to editors
*Starlight Cause of Trauma report 2025
About Allwyn
Allwyn AG is a multi-national gaming entertainment company, lottery-led and with leading market positions and trusted brands across Europe and North America, listed on Euronext Athens. Its purpose is to make play better for all by focusing on innovation, technology, player safety and returning more to good causes across a growing casual gaming entertainment portfolio.
Allwyn Entertainment Ltd (Allwyn UK), a separate subsidiary of Allwyn AG, is the operator of The National Lottery in the UK.
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About Allwyn’s partnership with Formula 1®
The multi-year partnership with Formula 1® represents a drive towards increased global awareness for Allwyn, with the sport’s 24 races across the globe, 750 million fans, and 96 million social media followers, as well as its reach across broadcast channels and entertainment outlets.
The partnership will reinforce Allwyn's position as an international brand driving community impact across the world, in support of its global growth plans.
At the heart of the partnership is the development of initiatives that will support the company’s ambition to be a positive contributor to society globally. With Allwyn and Formula 1® equally committed to empowering fans and local communities, the partnership will give Allwyn the opportunity to utilise the sport’s ever-growing international fan base to celebrate those making positive change, sharing these inspiring stories on a global level.
About Formula 1®
Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1® and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™. Formula 1® is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: FWONA, FWONK, LLYVA, LLYVK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock. The F1 logo, F1 Formula 1® logo, Formula 1®, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related marks are trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1® company. All rights reserved.
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Further information about the F1® Allwyn Global Community Award, including eligibility criteria and the selection process, can be found on our website: https://www.allwyn.com/responsibility/community-award.
About Starlight
Starlight is the UK’s leading charity working to put play at the heart of every child’s healthcare. Play takes the scare out of children’s healthcare, making them more resilient and receptive to treatment. We provide play resources, campaign for better health play services, and build best practice with frontline paediatric professionals.
The problem is fear. The answer is play. It’s time to put play into practice.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/01194d47-e114-47fa-b45a-eb0c0bcfbfc9
