Hospital play teams in Dudley and Sandwell have been recognised nationally for supporting children and families during stays and treatments.
Starlight, the UK’s leading charity for children’s play in healthcare, holds the awards to mark Play in Healthcare Week (October 13 to 19, 2025) and highlight how play can reduce fear, pain and trauma during a child’s treatment.
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust’s play team has been named Starlight Play Team of the Year.
Meanwhile neighbouring play team at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has been named runner-up.
Sandwell named team of the year
Lisa Hemingsley, who leads the Sandwell team, said: “Empathy is really important for our team.
“We always try to put ourselves in the position of the child and their parent or carers.”
Cheryl Newton, Group Director of Nursing, Women and Child Health at Sandwell and Birmingham NHS Trust, said: “We know that hospitals can be a scary environment for children, so our play specialists are positioned in the centre of what we do.”
Dudley team named runner-up
At Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, Julie Dale, Dionne Lewin and Sharnie Whitehouse from Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust were named Runner-Up Play Team of the Year in the Starlight Health Play Awards 2025.
Julie said the award “means the world,” adding: “We’ve created a warm and playful environment, which includes making toys and activities available, and ensure we have time with the children to prepare them where possible.”.
