A spoonful of storytelling helps the medicine go down at the N&N

This spring, Starlight Children's Foundation will bring a big dose of sunshine to poorly children at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital when its amazing Storytellers Tour pays a visit on Tuesday 19th May.

Starlight is national charity that grants wishes for seriously and terminally ill children and provides entertainment in hospitals and hospices across the UK. The eight week long Starlight Storytellers Tour, which will visit 96 children’s wards across the country, has been funded by Heinz’s ‘Get Well’ Soup campaign, which ran in January and February this year. The campaign asked the public to purchase personalised cans of ‘Get Well’ Soup for loved ones feeling under the weather.

This year’s stories have been produced exclusively for Starlight by The Panto Company who will perform Beauty and The Beast, The Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz. Fully interactive, these adaptations of the well-loved children’s classics are full of fun and young patients will get to laugh and cheer as the four actors sing, dance and perform for them, their families and the staff.

Emma Dolman, NNUH Matron for Children’s Services said, “We use play to help distract children from the pain and anxiety that they might be feeling as a result of their illness and there’s nothing like a good story to capture a child’s imagination. We are very grateful to Starlight’s Storytellers Tour for providing the opportunity for our young patients to forget their illness for a short while and simply have some fun.”

Every year, Starlight provides entertainment and distraction to over half a million poorly children and the Starlight Storytellers Tour will give thousands of poorly children the chance to escape their illness and enter the magical world of storytelling all from the safety of the hospital ward.

Neil Swan, Chief Executive of Starlight Children’s Foundation, said, “All of Starlight’s activities are aimed at distracting children from the pain and anxiety that they might be feeling as a result of their illness. The Starlight’s Storytellers Tour proved extremely popular last year with hospitals and hospices alike and we’re delighted to partner with Heinz and its ‘Get Well’ Soup campaign to bring storytelling and fun to poorly children for a second year running. We hope that the stories will be just what the doctor ordered!”

Matt Lee-Alliston, Managing Director of The Panto Company, said, “We’re thrilled to be working with Starlight to bring interactive storytelling to so many seriously ill children. Our acting troupe can’t wait to hit the road and bring the magic of storytelling to children’s wards across the country.”

The Starlight Storytellers Tour starts on Monday 20th April at Evelina Children’s Hospital, London and ends on Saturday 13th June at Grace House Hospice, Sunderland.

ENDS

Information
For press enquires about Starlight Children’s Foundation, please contact Laura Thomas, laura.thomas@starlight.org.uk / 020 7262 2881 # 231.

Starlight grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes for seriously and terminally ill children, restoring the magic and fun of childhood and giving the whole family happy memories to share, whatever the future holds.

Starlight also creates entertainment in every hospital and hospice throughout the UK. Sick children go to Starlight parties, laugh their way through pantomimes, go out on Starlight Escapes, play games and watch films on the Starlight Fun Centre, and enjoy the toys and puzzles of the Starlight Distraction Box. Happy children respond better to treatment and Starlight helps children to forget about their illness and simply have a bit of fun.

To refer a child for a wish or to make a donation, please go online at www.starlight.org.uk. For every £1 you donate, 93p goes towards helping Starlight’s very ill children.