In September 2024, we launched a fundraising appeal to expand the Play Team at Leeds Children’s Hospital from a five-day service into a fully embedded seven-day service.

Thanks to your generosity, there are now 42 Play staff working across Leeds Children’s Hospital, supporting hundreds of seriously ill children and their families.

Now, we're celebrating what has been made possible over the past year, because of play.

New figures published in the Play Team’s first annual impact report show that, on average, the team now delivers:

• 338 therapeutic and specialist play sessions every week
• 42 hours of distraction play
• 11 hours of procedural preparation
• 169 hours of direct play sessions
• 140 hours of facilitation and social interaction
• 51 hours of family and sibling support

One of the children who has benefitted from therapeutic play is two-year-old Robin Lister who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). Last April, Robin was blue lighted to Leeds Children’s Hospital where his parents were given the devastating news he has blood cancer.

This marked the beginning a six‑month hospital stay where Robin had severe complications including pancreatitis, collapsed lungs, emergency bowel surgery and a life‑threatening infection that left him critically ill in intensive care.  Robin’s parents Ricky and Becky were told several times he might not survive, but he showed remarkable resilience.

Robin lost the ability to walk and talk and struggled in the unfamiliar surroundings. The Play Team played a vital role throughout his recovery, using familiar toys, sensory activities and gentle interaction to help rebuild his strength, confidence and coordination, while also supporting his parents emotionally during the darkest moments. 

Robin’s dad, Ricky, spoke to us about how play has made a difference to his little boy and the whole family, during some of the most difficult times they have faced:

“Because of play, Robin wasn’t just a patient in a hospital bed - he was able to smile, reconnect with who he is, and start finding his strength again, even in the hardest moments.  

“Hospital isn’t a place you associate with fun, but the Play Team bring that sense of normality, and they make us all feel safe. When you see someone in purple, you know they’re there to help.”

Although Robin is now home and in remission, he continues to receive ongoing care, with the Play Team remaining an important source of comfort and normality whenever he returns to hospital.

Every week, the Play Team create hundreds of moments that matter for children like Robin and their families, helping to ease anxiety, reduce fear and ensure children are better prepared for treatment. This support helps prevent procedures being cancelled, reduces the need for sedation or general anaesthetic, and helps children cope with long‑term or traumatic hospital stays.

Lisa Beaumont, Therapeutic & Specialised Play Manager at Leeds Children’s Hospital says:

“Play is not an ‘extra’ in hospital, it’s essential. Because of play, we can help children make sense of what’s happening to them, feel safer, and regain a sense of control at a time when so much feels frightening and unfamiliar. We see every day how play reduces anxiety, helps children cope with procedures, and allows them to just be children first, not patients.”

The Play Team’s work spans far beyond toys and entertainment, from preparing children for surgery or scans, to supporting neurodiverse patients through complex procedures, helping children learn to swallow medication, to bereavement and memory‑making support for families.

It costs £500,000 a year to fund the Play Team, so we are continuing our fundraising efforts to make sure that every child in hospital benefits from this vital service.

Rebecca Baldaro-Booth, Director of Grants and Impact at Leeds Hospitals Charity says:

“Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, together we can continue to fund the fantastic Play Service and ensure that no child misses out on therapeutic play, even at weekends, and that childhood can still exist within hospital walls.

“Our Play Team do an incredible job, being there for seriously ill children and their loved ones throughout the most traumatic time of their lives. We rely on donations to continue to fund this vital service, it costs £106 a day to fund a play team member. Together, with support from the people of Leeds, we can deliver play to every child in hospital who needs it.”

Find out more and donate to the Play Appeal here