GamesAid vote

London, 14 ^th October 2010 – GamesAid, a UK games industry charity for children and young people, would like to remind all GamesAid members that voting in the 2010 charity nominations will come to a close this Friday 15 ^th October.

It urges all members to vote immediately. Successful charities will be announced 22 ^nd October.

Here is a reminder of the nominated charities:

Action for Kids is a national charity working with children and young people with physical and learning disabilities and their parents and carers in three main ways.  Providing mobility aids, work related learning and family support services through a provision of appropriate aid and support to enable a greater level of independence and opportunity.

A donation would have an amazing impact on the future independence of approximately 10 - 12 disabled children with a range of conditions and from a spread of locations throughout the UK.   www.actionforkids.org

Families Need Fathers provide help and support in many guises to involve both parents in the children's needs when it comes to marital breakdown. The FNF national helpline offers support to parents in a crisis. Through the helpline they receive not only emotional support, but also advice on the practicalities of parenting right through to rights and legal issues. 

With a donation from GamesAid, FNF would be able to: Extend the availability of the helpline’s operating hours, recruit and train further volunteers, register for Telephone Helplines Association accreditation and ensure proper maintenance of its centralized telephone equipment. www.fnf.org.uk

Family Holiday Association works to give disadvantaged families a chance for a break away from home, and last year helped 1,600 families to do just this. Over two million children in the UK live in families who cannot afford a day trip to the seaside, let alone a simple holiday.

If the Family Holiday Association received a donation from GamesAid it would be able to cover the running costs for two caravans for a year, providing 62 families with a one week holiday. wwwfhaonline.org.uk

Huntingdon Dreamdrops aims to raise money to make a real difference to children and families who use hospital or specialist children's health facilities in Huntingdonshire. Money raised supports those extras that are not covered by public funds but which make using health service more tolerable for children and their families.

http://www.stives-town.info/organisations/detail.asp?GetOrgID=1343

Rainbow Family Trust is behind Francis House which provides a home from home to families who have children diagnosed as having a life threatening or life limiting conditions. Families can receive professional care, support and friendship here.

The Rainbow Family Trust would make use of a donation in their new young adult unit. Whilst the unit is designed for young adults and as far as possible parent free, there are inevitably times when parents will need to be resident and these are usually very stressful times. www.francishouse.org.uk

Special Effect is a charity dedicated to helping ALL young people with disabilities to enjoy computer games by adapting, developing and modifying cutting edge technology. They also support hospitals, hospices and special schools in finding the right leisure technology for those young people who need it most, and by loaning specialised leisure technology to young people who have a sudden serious injury or illness.

A donation from GamesAid would support Special Effect’s new project to carry out a series of 20 Roadshows focusing specifically on the therapeutic benefits of videogames for young people with severe disabilities. www.specialeffect.org.uk

The Willow Foundation is the only charity of its kind providing special days for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds throughout the UK. These days aim to provide a break from the stress and difficult realities of diagnosis and treatment. They offer the chance to spend quality time with family and friends doing something they will all enjoy and creating precious memories.

If the Willow Foundation were to benefit from a donation from GamesAid they would use this money to fund between 12 and 16 special days. www.willowfoundation.org.uk

Volunteer Centre Sutton: MAPS is a mentoring and peer support service for some of societies most vulnerable and marginalised children and young people from ages 5-19yrs. Referrals are made for various reasons including  exhibiting incredibly challenging or aggressive behaviour; having witnessed something as horrific as domestic abuse; or simply being part of a large family living below the poverty line. 

A GamesAid donation would go towards 15 very vulnerable children receiving life changing one-to-one mentoring for one year, a further 5 to 10 young people would gain access to the group activities and to resources.  

www.nya.org.uk/quality/hear-by-right/hbr-by-region/south-east/volunteer-centre-sutton-peer-mentoring

All fundraising donations are gratefully received at www.justgiving.com/gamesaid.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact:

Caroline Miller at Indigo Pearl. Email: caroline@indigopearl.com  Mobile: 07765 255 002 

Website: www.gamesaid.org