Crisis At Christmas Crossword

Education, Technology, Charity News

20.12.2010 - For Immediate Release

http://www.crisis.org.uk/celebrity_christmas_crossword

http://apps.facebook.com/crisis_at_christmas

Celebrity wordsmiths David Mitchell, Ian Hislop, Hardeep Singh Kohli and Danny Wallace feature in a new online crossword published today to help Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people, raise funds over Christmas.

The game cleverly reinvents a much-loved format, challenging the player though interactive celebrity video clues. Players attempt to solve five rounds of clues that rise in degree of difficulty, starting with Hardeep Singh Koli’s ‘Hazelnut’ to Ian Hislop’s ‘Brazil nut’ (‘the hardest nut to crack at Christmas!’).

The game is the brainchild of Wordia.com, the world’s first online video dictionary that brings words to life though video and celebrity role model. The game has been designed for social media and gaming channels - discreetly raising awareness of homelessness and driving traffic and donations to the Crisis At Christmas website.

The game will be featured on the Crisis website, Facebook and Wordia and other social and causal gaming channels. The game will also be promoted to the education sector, directly to 700 schools through the newly launched Wordia Schools website.

Chief Executive of Crisis, Leslie Morphy said:

“We’re delighted that such a fine stable of celebrity wordsmiths have taken the time to help Wordia.com to create this online crossword to raise funds for Crisis.  It’s fun and may well help the charity reach lots of new people over the Christmas holidays.”

Managing Director of Wordia, Edward Baker said:

“As the average age of someone playing online social games is 43 year old*, we felt the much-loved online crossword could do with an update. Video and interactivity opens up a new area in online social gaming and we’re excited about the impact this format could have in areas such as education, through games-based learning and Wordia Schools. We jumped at the opportunity to work with Crisis and such loquacious wordsmiths.”

Special Note to Editor / Web Content Manager

The Crisis At Christmas Crossword game can be quickly and easily embedded into your website free of financial cost (free of all charge / with no server costs).

If you would like to bring some festive comedy to your community - and help raise awareness of a great cause - then please contact the Managing Director of Wordia.com: ed@futurecontent.com.

Editors’ Notes

Wordia.com is an online dictionary with a difference: a professional authoritative textual dictionary that brings words to life though video and role model. Wordia takes the textual definition of a word (the denotation) and encourages members of the public to explore the meaning of that word themselves (the connotation) through video. This approach gives the dictionary a new contextual richness and helps people to engage with words in a new way – making words fund, personal and memorable.

Wordia Schools just launched a private online schools resource that is free to educators. A participative ‘learning by doing’ video platform that encourages pupils to engage with subject key words in a unique way and contribute their own definitions to a safe, moderated environment. Wordia Schools groups key curriculum vocabulary by subject to make it easy for teachers to navigate and use everyday as part of their lesson.

Wordia is run by Future Content Ltd - a digital agency specialising in online learning and language. Future Content is advised by Internet entrepreneur, Michael Birch.

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. At Christmas we provide companionship and support to alleviate loneliness and isolation and help people to take their first steps out of homelessness.

We welcome nearly 2,000 guests in eight centres across London and at our Newcastle Crisis Skylight Centre. Our residential centres provide accommodation for rough sleepers, and people with specific needs such as vulnerable women and those with dependency issues.

For the vulnerably housed, we run specialist day centres, which are based in schools and colleges, providing an inspirational environment. Across all our centres guests can benefit from 20 different services, learning opportunities, vital medical help, housing and job advice.

We link our guests up to year-round services and encourage them to come to Crisis services in the New Year so we can continue to provide opportunities that will help them transform their lives.  With over 8,000 volunteers, Crisis At Christmas is the largest volunteer led event in the UK.

ENDS

For further press information on contact Karim Khan on 020 7426 3830, karim.khan@crisis.org.uk.

To discuss embedding the Crisis Christmas Crossword into your website free of charge, then please contact Edward Baker on:

0207 6135724 or ed@futurecontent.com

*Social Gaming Statistics: http://gigaom.com/2010/02/17/average-social-gamer-is-a-43-year-old-woman/