“If we’ve reduced fear and increased a child’s ability to cope, we’ve made a difference.”

Running alongside the race we all love is the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award. An initiative created by Formula 1 and Allwyn to recognise charities making a real difference in the communities that host Grands Prix. At selected races throughout the season, one organisation receives a transformative €100,000 donation to help scale its impact.

It might sound surprising, but around 1.4 million children in the UK are vulnerable to healthcare-related trauma. Hospital stays, treatments, and medical procedures can leave lasting emotional scars that are often ignored, resulting in children being more fearful of the care they need, but Starlight believes there's a better way.

"The challenge isn't proving play works," the charity told us "It's making sure every child can access it."

It would be easy to use the money to buy new toys and games, but Starlight is taking it a step further. The €100,000 donation will support an innovative new Health Play Practice Educator role. This role will help train healthcare professionals to make fun activities a part of children's treatment. The funding could also support up to 1,000 clinicians, ensuring play-informed care across NHS services. Starlight isn't just trying to improve one child's day in hospital; it's trying to change how children's healthcare works as a whole. "We meet children's needs today while changing the system for tomorrow," the team explained. 

The charity's key goal is reducing fear: "If we've reduced fear and increased a child's ability to cope, we've made a difference." This ethos is what led to Starlight being chosen for the award, as Allwyn believes they will create real lasting change. The F1 Allwyn Global Community Award aims to identify charities that not only do good work but also inspire growth and lasting impact in the communities around each race.