About Me

I am someone who never backs down from a challenge. Having spent most of my adult life in the Armed Forces, I understand the impact of challenges, both positive and negative, on mental health. This realization led me to focus on lifting the stigma of mental health over the past ten years. However, when I came across the Starlight Children's Foundation, I was inspired by their mission of creating positive memories for children undergoing life-altering hospital stays through the simple act of play. It is a powerful way of ensuring a positive mental experience for young patients.
As someone who has a family to provide for, I could not undertake challenges like running across America or the Great Wall of China. However, I wanted to commit myself to a challenge that would benefit not only me but also positively impact the lives of others. So, I decided to participate in a full marathon every Monday morning before work until April 21st, 2024. I plan to complete 54 marathons in my 54th year.
I hope that this journey will inspire others to challenge themselves and create a positive impact in their communities. The dedication of Starlight to promote children's play during healthcare is genuinely admirable and should inspire us to do what we can to positively impact the world.
Let's all take inspiration from their mission and strive to make a positive difference in the world.

About Starlight

We're the national charity for children’s play in healthcare, supporting children to experience the power of play to boost their wellbeing and resilience during illness.

We advocate for play professionals, support families, and empower children to experience the power of play.

Our Mission

Play is not a choice; it’s crucial to the health and well-being of children. Evidence shows play opportunities in healthcare settings reduce the fear and distress that many children feel, while health play specialists’ support can mitigate the pain and trauma of treatment, in addition to creating economic benefits for the NHS.

We want to enable all UK children to have their right to play protected and provided for during their healthcare

Our History

We do everything we can to protect childhood for seriously ill children. That’s been the case since 1986, when Emma Samms and Peter Samuelson founded Starlight. Emma had fundraised to help her young friend Sean, who had a brain tumour, visit Disneyland. She saw the impact that trip had not just on Sean, but on his whole family. Emma decided to set up a children’s charity so many more kids and families could feel the same way – and Starlight was born.

The memory of a childhood illness can impact for life. If we can make it a little bit more interesting, they may not have such an awful association with their illness or experience.

Find out more about our life-changing work