Children in Hospital Ireland today announced its new three‑year strategic plan, outlining the expansion of its play volunteer and family support services for children and families during hospital stays.
For more than 55 years, Children in Hospital Ireland has provided a volunteer-led play volunteer service helping to create a fun and positive experience for children during their hospital stay while giving parents a chance to take a much-needed break.
The ambitious plan sets out the charity’s commitment to recruiting new volunteers to meet the needs of families with a child in hospital, while continuing to support its team of 400 volunteers across 15 hospitals nationwide, particularly during the transition into the National Children’s Hospital.
The new strategy builds on this foundation, aiming to ensure that even more young patients and their families have access to play-centred emotional support and access to information during challenging times. The Strategic Plan was developed following an external evaluation of the volunteer-led play service, the final report of which was also launched today.
“This evaluation highlights what families have been telling us for years: play is not optional, but an essential tool in changing a child’s hospital experience. As we look to the next three years, our focus is on growth, reach, and readiness” said Anna Gunning, CEO of Children in Hospital Ireland. “We know the positive impact play can have on a child’s hospital experience, and our new strategic plan gives us a roadmap to bring that support to more children and families than ever before.”
Freddie Holmes, now aged 4, was born as a twin, prematurely with Down Syndrome and spent the first thirteen months of his life in hospital. Tracy, his mum, relied on the volunteers while juggling Freddie’s hospital care, along with caring for his twin and older brother at home. “We were incredibly grateful for the play volunteers during such a difficult time. It was such a relief to know Freddie was cared for and shown love, when we couldn’t be at the hospital. We really saw how important play was and how much Freddie grew developmentally through play during his time at the hospital.” Play Volunteers provide not only comfort and respite for parents, but moments of joy and normality during what is often an unfamiliar and scary environment for children.
Other key priorities in the strategic plan include:
- Increasing the number of hospitals where the volunteer service is available.
- Continuing to advocate for better and more accessible facilities for children in hospital and their families.
- Increasing information and supports for parents when they have a child in hospital.
Read CIH’s Strategic Plan 2026 – 2028
Read the Summary Evaluation report
Read the FULL Evaluation report
