Category: Project

Positivity in Motion is an exciting new initiative bringing the healing power of movement, mindfulness, and music to seriously ill children in hospital care.

Delivered in partnership with Synergy Dance Outreach, this groundbreaking project launched in May 2025 at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and Evelina London Children’s Hospital, with plans to expand to a third major London children’s hospital in 2026.

From dance and yoga to relaxation and guided meditation, Positivity in Motion offers children moments of lightness, expression, and emotional support during some of the most difficult times.

Many of the children in these hospitals are facing complex, long-term or life-threatening conditions. These facilities treat children not just from London, but from across the UK, patients who often spend long periods in hospital away from their homes, friends, and familiar routines.  These are some of the UK’s most seriously ill children, often unable to participate in group activities or receive enrichment care.

The Positivity in Motion project offers:

• Fully adapted dance, yoga, music and relaxation sessions, tailored for children with serious medical needs.
• Specialist sessions for children living with cancer, rheumatology conditions, Epidermolysis Bullosa, chronic pain, and high-risk mental health challenges.
• Weekly visits to intensive care and high dependency units, areas where children have very limited access to enrichment or therapeutic activity.
• Support for children in isolation, ensuring no one misses out due to infection control or immune issues.
• On-demand video content for children and families to access at home or in between hospital visits.

Positivity in Motion is not just about movement, it’s about giving children a moment to feel like themselves again. Whether it’s the joy of music, the calm of a guided relaxation, or the empowerment of gentle yoga, these sessions are designed to help children:

• Build emotional resilience
• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Reconnect with their bodies in a safe and supportive way
• Feel joy, even in the midst of serious illness

Each session is led by experienced practitioners trained to work with children in clinical settings, and each one is guided by care, creativity, and compassion.

Thank you for your support. Projects like Positivity in Motion are only possible because of you.

To enhance the hospital experience for seriously ill children we provide Mobile Gaming Carts, designed to offer entertainment, distraction, and emotional support during treatment.

Mobile Gaming Carts are purpose-built units designed for use in hospital settings. Each cart is equipped with a modern gaming console and a range of age-appropriate video games. Their mobile design allows them to be easily moved between treatment rooms and wards, making them accessible to more children throughout the department.

These carts serve as a powerful tool to support the mental and emotional well-being of young patients during what can often be a distressing time. Key benefits include:

• Reducing stress and anxiety before and during medical treatments by offering distraction.
• Providing a sense of normality and familiarity in an unfamiliar environment.
• Creating positive moments during hospital visits for children and their families.

“The three Rockin R Gaming Carts have been a huge hit with our patients! They have not only been a welcome distraction to alleviate boredom but have also been used for encouraging fine motor skills, cognitive assessment and social interaction. The carts are downloaded with a range of games for all ages and don’t require the internet to play them – which is a huge benefit. The carts are also portable and height adjustable, which means they can be taken to a young person’s bed space. They have been a huge “game” changer for our techy teenagers especially, and the play team are so grateful to this wonderful charity for funding them for us.”
Louise Oliver, Play Leader at Southampton Children’s Hospital

This project has been made possible by the generous support of Peter Cooper Motor Group, Wicked Sick and Popex, who have funded the delivery of the gaming carts at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and Southampton Children’s Hospital.

The project aims to improve the hospital journey for seriously ill children, turning moments of anxiety into opportunities for play, connection, and emotional relief.

Losing a child is one of the most heartbreaking things any parent can go through. In the moments after that loss, it can feel like the world stops. Parents leave the hospital not only without their child, but with empty arms and broken hearts.

Each year, around 3,500 families in the UK face the devastating loss of a child. In those early days, when grief is at its rawest, many parents are left feeling completely alone. There’s often very little support available straight away, and even less that feels personal or meaningful. 

The Bags of Sunshine project will be delivered In partnership with Freddie’s Sunshine charity. These Bags of Sunshine care packages are designed to bring a small piece of comfort to parents in the early days after the death of a child.

The project will begin in the North West England, starting with 100 Bags of Sunshine to be delivered to bereaved families at hospitals, including Salford Royal Hospital.

Each Bag of Sunshine will include:

• A weighted soft toy to help ease the emptiness many parents feel in their arms.
• A cooling face mask and lip balm to soothe tired, tearful faces.
• A candle to light in memory of the child.
• A notebook and pen for writing down thoughts or letters to their child, something many parents find helpful.
• Wildflower seeds to plant in memory of their child, bringing new life from loss.
• Fidget toy to help with anxiety and restlessness.

The items were chosen with great care, based on input from bereaved parents and experienced bereavement nurses. Each one serves a purpose, to bring a moment of peace, comfort, or connection during a time that can feel impossibly heavy.

The Bags of Sunshine will also contain information on grief, where to find emotional support, and details of crisis helplines.

This project begins with 100 bags, 100 families, and 100 chances to offer comfort, even in the darkest moments.

Thanks to incredible generosity, our supporters have successfully raised £36,000 to fund Stepping Stones, an innovative, arts-led mental health project for vulnerable children and young people across Hampshire.

Delivered in partnership with Hampshire Cultural Trust, Stepping Stones will support 60 children and adolescents (aged 11–17) who are at risk of deteriorating mental health and more complex emotional challenges. These young people will take part in a year-long programme of creative intervention designed to rebuild confidence, self-esteem, and emotional resilience.

Led by experienced artists trained in trauma-informed practice, the sessions will provide a safe, supportive space where each participant can express themselves, process emotions, and explore their identity through art. These experiences offer not only a vital outlet, but also transferable skills that support long-term recovery and personal growth.

The programme will take place in museums, arts centres, community spaces, and at Bursledon House within Southampton Children’s Hospital. A final exhibition will showcase the young people’s work, celebrating their progress and raising awareness about the power of creativity for mental wellbeing.