Children in Hospital Ireland was founded in 1970 and in the decades since then has engaged in advocacy and education in regard to the specific needs of children and young people in hospital, has made available information for parents and families, and has provided a volunteer-led play and recreation service. Since then, there has been a significant expansion of this service: it is now available in fourteen hospitals around the country, with more than 500 volunteers providing play facilitation on a daily basis in wards, emergency departments, outpatient departments, and, where available, playrooms. This equates to an annual total of around 48,000 volunteer hours with the service reaching approximately 100,000 children. In providing this service, Children in Hospital Ireland strives to adhere to the highest standards in recruiting, training, mentoring and supporting its volunteers. Our mission is to promote the wellbeing of children within the healthcare system in Ireland, in particular, before, during and after hospitalisation. In order to fulfil our mission, we aim to provide information and support to parents and carers and to engage in advocacy in relation to healthcare services for children. In addition, we aim to make the hospital a happier place for children and young people by providing volunteer-led play and recreation services.