For Sophie, the play specialist was often the highlight of her visits to the three hospitals she attended during her journey. Beyond offering light relief through play and crafts, they provided emotional support and distraction during procedures. Play specialists help children feel like children in environments that can be frightening, traumatic, and isolating.
Sophie was shocked to learn that the play team didn’t have funds to buy more toys, arts, or crafts. Very early in her journey, she decided to help. She spent her time in hospital painting ceramics to sell, raising money to buy the toys and activities the ward needed. Over the course of a year, Sophie painted hundreds of ceramics and raised more than £6,000. She especially loved receiving the list of what the hospital needed and then going shopping to fulfil it.
However, we quickly learned that play specialists often only worked Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with no weekend cover. Sophie would say,
If a play specialist was off sick or on holiday, they weren’t replaced.
When Sophie was writing her bucket list, she wished for play specialists in hospitals seven days a week. She said,
The challenges are significant. There are only around 680 play specialists registered on the public register across the UK, covering hospitals, hospices, and more. Training options are limited, with just a few institutions offering routes into the profession: Cardiff & Vale College, Leeds City College, Nescot, North Warwickshire College, and Solent University. These courses typically involve a two-year foundation degree or an apprenticeship.
Awareness of the role of play specialists remains low. We aim to change that. We want more colleges and universities to offer training and for hospitals to recognise the value and necessity of play for children.
We’ve been working with NHS England and the Starlight charity to drive change. In June 2022, I shared Sophie’s story at the National Association of Hospital Play Specialists conference in London, and again in March 2023 at the Play Research Centre at the University of Cambridge.
That same June, NHS England announced a new joint task force, co-chaired with Starlight. This group brought together representatives from the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Sophie’s Legacy, the Care Quality Commission, the Society of Health Play Specialists, and over 60 individual health professionals. Children and young people were also consulted through the NHS England CYP Transformation Board and a survey by the Heads of Patient Experience (HOPE) Network.
The task force produced:
New national guidance for commissioners and health service leaders on the purpose, design, and composition of health play teams
New national standards for service providers
I was honoured to speak at the launch in London, sharing a powerful speech using Sophie’s beads of courage to illustrate what she went through in just one year. I spoke about how Sophie’s first MRI – only three days into her treatment – was traumatic. With no play team preparation, she had to lie still for 90 minutes, sandbags on her legs, tears streaming from the pain of a tumour pressing into her abdomen. That was just one bead, representing just one of the many procedures she endured.
In February 2023, we funded an art practitioner, Hayley, to work one day a week in Portsmouth Hospital, providing therapeutic art sessions – something Sophie would have adored. By 2024, Hayley began supporting children referred by Portsmouth community nurses, working with long-term patients at home, in school, or in hospital. Demand has been so high that Hayley now works two days a week for Sophie’s Legacy and has a waiting list. These therapeutic art sessions are having a truly positive impact on children’s mental health.
Sophie’s Legacy continues to provide toys, games, and craft materials to all the hospitals we support – all year round. Most play teams do not have a budget for these essential tools, and the ability to supply them consistently has had a real, positive effect.
We also purchased a portable play trolley for the Paediatric High Dependency Unit at Southampton, costing £4,800 – a hugely appreciated resource. A similar sensory play trolley was provided to Bournemouth Children’s A&E, costing over £5,000. These mobile units make a tangible difference to the experience of children in hospital.
We also support events throughout the year, including Easter, Christmas, and Halloween. We’re known for filling our van with pumpkins and delivering them to children’s wards for carving or painting. Every child also receives an advent calendar in December.
At Sophie’s Legacy, we are committed to making sure hospitals don’t have to be traumatic places. We believe in the power of play – not as a luxury, but as a vital part of children’s care.
Sophie wanted the following things changed and this will be her legacy in memory of a remarkable young girl who touched so many lives.
During Sophie’s many hospital stays, we came to understand the vital role play specialists play on children’s hospital wards.
Sophie was passionate about improving hospital food for children. She described it as “disgusting”—a powerful statement from a child who genuinely loved food.
Feeding parents of children in hospital was one of Sophie’s top priorities. She never understood why a parent staying with their sick child wasn’t also provided a meal.
Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children under 15, yet there are no dedicated training courses on paediatric cancer for health professionals.
Childhood cancers are rarely linked to lifestyle or environmental factors, yet this area continues to receive the least amount of funding and research attention.
