A unique combination of PLAY & radio
RADIO LOLLIPOP is for children, parents and families
The Healing POWER OF PLAY
Radio Lollipop believes in the healing power of play – providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most.
One in four children are admitted to a hospital before reaching age 14.
Though some patients are short-stay, many have a recurring need for care and return repeatedly to hospital. Some who are terminally ill spend much of their short lives in hospital.
Radio Lollipop gives young patients a voice and a choice during their stay. While they can't say 'no' to taking their medicine or receiving treatment, they can request their favourite songs, win prizes, play games, enjoy craft and hear their own voices on the radio. Those activities give children and young people a haven of normality in the hospital day which in other respects is strange, different and often scary.
PLAY and ENTERTAINMENT that makes a DIFFERENCE
Over the last 47 years the Radio Lollipop team have gained a good understanding of the kind of interaction and play that children really enjoy. We always put them at the centre of every activity. From presenting to colouring, and from winning prizes to choosing the music. This is about empowering children at a time when they have had so much taken away from them.
While the Radio Lollipop team are in the room, the child is able to escape the worries and traumas of being unwell and instead indulge in just having fun. It has been clinically proven that fewer painkillers are requested when the Volunteers are on the wards.
We are lucky enough to see the power of play every day - at work across the world.
We Bring HAPPINESS
Play comes in many forms, from craft at the bedside, becoming a DJ, playing a game, experiencing the LolliTrollie™ or the simple joy of blowing bubbles and cuddling a toy.
The Radio Lollipop Volunteers bring fun, smiles and some happiness to the bedside.
The LolliTrollie™
The bespoke LolliTrollie™ is unique to Radio Lollipop and this amazing innovation in play is rolling out across the world.
The LolliTrollie™ transforms each hospital room or ward into a complete Radio Lollipop studio experience. Equipped with head lights, a beautiful bubble machine, a balloon pump, speakers and magical microphones for budding DJs or singers, this rolling wonder attracts children and generates smiles and laughter wherever it goes. With sensory fibre optics that reach the bedside and a music/light show which is seen on the ceiling, no child is excluded from the fun and entertainment.
You can help us roll these out to all of our stations.
Play at the Bedside
Not every child can leave their hospital bed, but every child deserves the opportunity to play. Radio Lollipop Volunteers bring fun, imagination and personal attention directly to the bedside, with games, activities, music and conversation chosen around each child's interests, abilities and how they are feeling. Sometimes it's an exciting game; sometimes it's simply sharing a smile or a quiet moment together. Bedside play is particularly important because it gives children individual attention, offers distraction from treatment and restores a sense of choice and control. Above all, it reminds them that, whatever their circumstances, they are still children who need to play.
Play in the Playroom
The playroom is a place where children can leave some of the routines of hospital life behind and rediscover the freedom of simply being children. Radio Lollipop Volunteers create welcoming, lively opportunities for games, creativity, laughter and shared experiences. Whether making something, joining a group activity or playing alongside other children, each child can participate in their own way. Unlike bedside play, the playroom offers valuable opportunities for social interaction, friendship and a sense of belonging. It helps reduce isolation, builds confidence and allows children to enjoy ordinary childhood experiences in an environment where so much else may feel unfamiliar.
Play in the Studio
The Radio Lollipop studio offers something quite different: the chance for children to become the stars of their own radio programmes. With the support of our Volunteers, children can choose music, speak into microphones, take part in competitions, present programmes and share their personalities with other children throughout the hospital. Instead of simply receiving entertainment, they become the entertainers, discovering new confidence, skills and a sense of achievement. Studio play gives children a voice, encourages creativity and connects them with a wider hospital audience. It's an opportunity to be heard, make choices and experience the excitement of creating something for others.
