Starlight Children’s Foundation has been handed £85,000 by Allwyn AG, the global entertainment company whose UK subsidiary runs the UK’s National Lottery.

The award to the charity, which supports critically ill children in hospital, has been made through its Formula One Allwyn Global Community Award, which was made at the British Grand Prix.

The money will be used by the charity for its project to introduce play workers across the NHS and train 1,000 professionals in specialist care.

"We are proud to award the F1® Allwyn Global Community Award to the Starlight Children's Foundation,” said Allwyn UK chief impact officer Alastair Ruxton.

“As judges, we were impressed by their spirit of innovation and their pioneering approach to tackling healthcare-related trauma many children face. “

The charity’s chief executive Cathy Gilman added: “Hospitals and medical procedures can be incredibly scary and traumatising for children, but our new role will help hospitalised children understand, cope, and heal.”

She added it will be used to “directly fund our ambition to make hospital stays kinder and treatments gentler for seriously ill children”.

Through the global award scheme further good causes will be handed funding at Grand Prix race locations this season, in the Netherlands and Austin, Mexico City and Las Vegas. In the US.

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