GamesAid’s annual Poker Tournament is set to take place during the Develop Conference at the Grosvenor G Casino, Brighton, from 8pm on Tues 9^th July and whales, sharps and players are cordially invited to lay down their stake for a night of intense poker action.

The annual poker tournament, in association with Relentless Software, will take place at the Grosvenor G Casino, Brighton, from 8pm on Tuesday 9^th July.   There will be 60 places available on a first come first served basis. If you want to secure your place then please avoid disappointment and register your £50 buy-in here:

“The GamesAid poker tournament has become a regular and much-loved fixture during Develop Conference week and has raised over £15,000 over the past four years. We’re delighted with the generosity and support from the industry’s poker players. Also, many thanks to Relentless Software for their ongoing sponsorship of our tournament, ”  said Mark Ward, GamesAid Ambassador and 2009 Tournament Runner-up.

The game is Texas Hold ‘Em No Limit with a £50 buy-in. Re-buys and add-ons will also be available on the night.

There won’t be cash prizes available this year, however, a number of other exciting prizes have been donated by friends of GamesAid, including an all-new trophy for first place, iPad Mini, Nokia Lumia Smartphone, games hardware and software and blu-ray films, amongst many others.

For more information, or to donate further prizes to the cause, please contact Mark Ward, GamesAid Ambassador, at mark.ward@warnerbros.com

To celebrate the very best of British gaming journalism,  freelance doyen Dan Griliopoulos  and the Guardian’s Keith Stuart have set up a brand new Games Journalism Award to recognise the industry’s most gifted wordsmiths.

The Award launches tonight, Wednesday 29^th May, with a special event at BAFTA where Griliopoulos  and Stuart will be joined by ex-GameSpot UK editor Guy Cocker, editor-at-large for Gamasutra Leigh Alexander, Rock Paper Shotgun’s Kieron Gillen and Official Xbox 360 magazine editor Jon Hicks.

All will be taking part in an in-depth discussion on the current state of games journalism as well as awarding the inaugural Games Journalism prize.

Griliopoulos  and Stuart have also produced a PDF eBook featuring the very best entries which were nominated for the award and you’ll be able to download a copy, with all proceeds from the sale generously being donated to GamesAid.

It’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy some of the very best writing the games industry produces as well as make a donation to some very worthy causes. To download your copy simply head on over to the Games Journalism Prize site, donate, download,  read, enjoy and reflect on some of the finest writing the UK industry has to offer.

The annual Sega GamesAid fixture has already raised £2200 and this year, as usual, four teams have entered with three of the teams scheming to find a way to defeat the current three times reigning champions Screaming Lord Hatch’s XI captained by Bethesda’s  Alistair Hatch. Sega, Square Leg Enix and an Industry all stars select XI will be plotting their revenge and gunning for this year’s crown.

John Clarke captain of the  Sega team, who have kindly sponsored the event for all three years since its inception said, “We will have 44 people performing various impersonations of cricketers and in so doing will raise over £2000 for GamesAid. Sega are delighted to continue our association with GamesAid and continue to hope to actually win this time.”

GamesAid are extremely grateful to Sega for their continued support in making this event happen and look forward to welcoming friends,  family,  spectators and all lovers of cricket this Wednesday.

For the past two years an intrepid group of games industry folk led by the indefatigable Cat Channon has raised money for GamesAid by cycling back from Gamescom in Cologne to Brighton – in three days!

In the first year only two hardy souls took the journey, last year ten brave travellers covered the 300+ miles to get home to Blightly and this year we’re hoping to grow again.

This year the event runs from Friday  23 August – Monday, 26 August and to register interest and get more details simply contact Rich Keith at richard.keith@futurenet.com

But with greater numbers comes a greater need for organisation so we’re really hoping people will sign up as soon as possible so we can sort the accommodation and support, help with training plans and cycling repair knowledge and get sponsors on board.

You will need to book your ferry back and will need to pay for hotels (which we will book when we know how many people we expect). Based on previous years – and not including travel to Gamescom for you and your bike – this should cost roughly £150 per person.

The route will take us from Cologne via Wareme in Belgium to Cambrai in France and then on to Dieppe before the skip over to Brighton – four countries in three days!

You’ll be riding 100 miles a day over the three days – it will test you to the limit but will be worth it.

Obviously we’d love you to raise as much money for GamesAid as well. You can do this on your own via Justgiving or another method or you can use the central JustGiving page we’ve set up here

To see what you’re getting yourself into, check out last year’s video above!

To register interest and to get more details please contact Rich Keith at richard.keith@futurenet.com

EA Sports and Future Publishing have teamed up to bring you the chance to play at Swindon Town FC on May 18^th and raise a bunch of money for GamesAid into the bargain.

Are you a midfield maestro?  A defensive colossus or a star striker? Are you willing to show off your skills to the rest of the industry, then the EA Sports/Future GamesAid Challenge Cup should be perfect for you.

Last year was a close victory for the Games Media team so we’re expecting some big signings for the Industry team as they try to exact their footballing revenge and raise money for a bunch of good causes.

A full 90 minutes on a Swindon Town’s pro pitch, with the obligatory four minutes of injury time added on is yours if you can do the following:

1.       Contact Rich Keith to let him know who you are, what position you covet and lie about your skill levels. Richard.keith@futurenet.com

Just Giving Page to deposit your £35.00  playing fee.

3.       Clean your boots and shinpads and find your lucky football pants (all other kit will be provided)

4.       Practice your celebrations and tall stories for the pub later.

Confirmation of kick-off time (likely to be 2pm) plus details of directions / timing / team captains and refreshments will be sent out to you once you have followed steps 1 and 2.

Good luck and we’ll see you there!

But if you hurry, there’s still a chance to secure your place at this year’s fifth annual event on Thursday 12th of July, by downloading the entry form here, or contacting Keeley Munden on 01279 822822, or by emailing keeleym@gem.co.uk

You can learn even more about the event at the GamesAid’s official Golf and Spa day web site here.

Hosted at the prestigious Grove golf course, widely regarded as one of the finest new courses in Europe and which played host to Tiger Woods’ 2006 Championship victory, golfers will appreciate a hearty breakfast before proceeding to the driving range to pick up a few pointers from the course pro.

Then it’s onto the tournament itself with 18 holes of serious golf on the PGA course with buggies and all facilities provided. There’s prizes for the nearest the pin and the longest drive as well as best individual and team scores and a corporate gift bag as a memento for each player.

While the golfers tackle the course, partners and colleagues will appreciate exclusive use of the Grove’s relaxing Grove’s Sequoia Spa’s indoor pool and fitness facilities, which include an hour’s worth of spa treatments.

The Golf and Spa day concludes with a splendid evening Awards Dinner where there’ll be a perfect opportunity to recount your exploits from the course, congratulate the winners and join key industry figures in supporting and raising awareness for some truly deserving GamesAid causes.

We hope to see you there!

Hosted by Imran Yusuf and featuring a wealth of comedic talent including The Boy With Tape On His Face, The Noise Next Door, Paul Thorne, Kev Orkian, Prince Abdi and Paul McCaffery, the event was also kindly sponsored by both corporate event sponsor Indigo Pearl PR and bar sponsor Trion Worlds as part of their Defiance launch campaign.

The Comedy Store gig was quite simply one of the hottest tickets in town on the night and became an absolute sell-out as over 400 of the industry’s finest, their better halves, sponsors and representatives from the charities GamesAid supports, gathered for our two hours of hilarious, rib tickling and near-to-the-knuckle gags bon mots, music and funnies.

A good time was had by all and following the success of the first night it looks like this may well become a regular fixture on the fundraising calendar.

Caroline Miller,  Director of Indigo Pearl “I was so pleased to have Indigo Pearl name associated with such an awesome night and I look forward to it becoming an annual event.

Rosemarie Dalton, GamesAid trustee and Stand Up organiser said “What a night… comedy and charity. What’s not to like?”

And so say all of us!

Actor, writer and stand-up, Hal Cruttenden has appeared on Live at the Apollo’ (BBC1), Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC1) as well as performing at the prestigious Royal Variety Performance and he replaces Paul Tonkinson, who has unfortunately had to withdraw from the show due to other scheduling commitments.

Reviewing Cruttenden’s Edinburgh shows The Scotsman said “He takes the personal, the surreal, the ridiculous and the political, and whizzes them into a delicious comedy smoothie that is sweet with a hint of sharpness. And it’s really good for you.”

Cruttenden joins a line-up of top gagmeisters and hilarious acts including Imran Yusuf, The Boy With Tape On His Face, The Noise Next Door, Paul Thorne, Kev Orkian, Prince Abdi & Paul McCaffery, and you can book your ticket for the Comedy story gig for just £10 by simply clicking here.

A host of games industry types and veterans will be supporting the show on the night (we’ll see you at the bar most likely) and Stand Up for GamesAid is generously sponsored by Indigo Pearl PR and Trion Worlds.

We’ll see but make sure you wear your most supportive garments.  Ribs will not only be thoroughly tickled but there’s a distinct possibility that sides will most likely be split.

Runners up were Andy Payne,  Dave Noble and Amanda Farr who can each claim a SEGA game as their prize.

Following the success of the recent Cheltenham sweepstake, Honest Dave Walker was back on form on Saturday with a  cracking Grand National Sweepstake.

Entry cost punters just £10 per head via Honest Dave’s Just Giving Sweepstake page  and thanks to all who took part (see the full list below) you raised over £400 for deserving causes.

Well done and keep an eye out for more racing opportunities from Honest Dave in the near future!

GamesAid’s 2013 Grand National Sweepstake

Currently starring on his first nationwide solo tour, Tonkinson is a master of physical comedy and also does a mean impression, with a wealth of first class material brought to life with tremendous charm and infectious energy.

Tonkinson has recently appeared on BBC One’s Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and is fresh from dazzling victory on Ch4`s hit show Celebrity Come Dine With Me.

He’s also made numerous appearances on Comedy Central’s The Comedy Store and The World Stands-up and is a regular entertainer for the UK armed forces in Afrghanistan and Iraq.

He joins a first-class line-up of funny men in a comedy evening hosted and MC-ed by Imran Yusuf (Best Newcomer nominee at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010) and featuring Paul McAffery (Russell Howard’s Good News), Jason Patterson (Laughter Shock, Kojo’s Comedy Funhouse), The Noise Next Door the UK’s premier improv troop, Comedy Store regular Paul Thorne, comedian and musician Kev Orkian and Fosters’ Edinburgh award winner The Boy With Tape On His Face.

Sponsored by Indigo Pearl PR, Stand Up for GamesAid promises to be a barrel of laughs with tickets costing just  £10 or £8 for students and nurses (plus booking fee) and you can pick them up direct from the Comedy Store Website.

You may remember that at the beginning of last week’s Cheltenham racing festival, online bookies Bet365 came up with a splendid offer, whereby aspiring punters could donate £10 via the Cheltenham Champion Tipster page and receive £100 in virtual bets. The overall winner then got a £100 free bet donated by Bet365, which could be placed on the nose of a single horse, or split over a number of races.

Organised by renowned tipsters Sega’s ‘Honest’ David Walker and Konami’s Steve Keys, the Cheltenham Champion tipster initiative raised over £200 for GamesAid during the four day jump racing extravaganza.

The champion tipster from a packed field was Alex Cook of Trion Worlds who kindly donated his £100 prize straight back to GamesAid – for use in the forthcoming Grand National sweepstake.

Keep an eye out for Honest Dave’s forthcoming Grand National sweepstake when the horses go again at Aintree on 6^th April. Full details will appear on the GamesAid site and via our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Ladies and gentlemen put your hands together for the very first Stand Up for GamesAid, a brand new comedy event set for Monday April 15^th, hosted at world famous stand-up venue The Comedy Store and splendidly sponsored by Indigo Pearl Public Relations.

A crack line up of British and international comedy talent will be on hand for your comedic entertainment, it costs just £10 (£2.50 booking fee) with concessions for students and nurses at £8 (£1 booking fee) and tickets are limited so book now to secure yours.

The GamesAid comedy evening will be hosted and MC-ed by Imran Yusuf (Best Newcomer nominee at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010)  who began his career in the games industry working for the likes of Midway Games, Eidos and SEGA Europe before departing for the bright lights of showbiz with appearances on The Now Show, The News Quiz and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

The evening will feature Paul McAffery (Russell Howard’s Good News) Jason Patterson (Laughter Shock, Kojo’s Comedy Funhouse), The Noise Next Door the UK’s premier improv troop, Comedy Store regular Paul Thorne, comedian and musician Kev Orkian and Fosters Edinburgh award winner The Boy With Tape On His Face.

Rounding off this cream of the comedic talent will be one very special guest which we are forbidden from revealing (under pain of death), but keep your eyes peeled for further announcements – our advice? Quite simply, book early!

It promises to be a riotous evening of fun, frolics and frivolity and if your sides haven’t split by the end of the evening, they must have been surgically re-enforced.

What more can you ask? Well rest assured all money raised will go direct to GamesAid which supports charities for disabled and disadvantaged young people and children in the UK, so it’s comedy to soothe your social conscience too.

GamesAid’s Comedy Night 15^th April 2013 at The Comedy Store

1: Special Guest to be announced on March 23^rd.

2: Paul McCaffrey (@paulmccaffreys)

3: Jason Patterson (@jpattersoncomic)

4: The Noise Next Door (@NoiseNextDoor)

5: Paul Thorne (@pthornecomedian)

6: Kev Orkian (@TheKevOrkian)

7: The Boy with Tape on his Face (@TapeFaceBoy)

GamesAid 2013 programme

March 13^th  Silverstone Half Marathon: Terry Haynes of Hotgen  will be competing in this gruelling test of stamina and you can help him out by donating here.

March 21st - SJS Kickabout Lucozade Power League, Wembley – Join the SJS team for a repeat of last year’s splenid footballing kickabout tournament. Can you topple current champs Generation Swapit and help raise some important cash for GamesAid? Show off your footballing prowess with teams of eight competing for the prize. Email: hello@sjslondon.com for further details or head over to their Just Giving Page here.

14^th April 2013  Brighton Marathon:  Cat Channon, Terry Haynes, Graeme Struthers and Simon Urquhart are all in for another endurance test down by the sea, donate here.

So after the roaring fundraising and excruciating success of 2012′s GamesAid NCSOFT Brighton marathon team’s running madness. A few of the industry’s finest are back on the streets and doing it again.  On April 15th a hardy team of four, (largely fair weather) runners will attempt the 26.2 mile seaside race around the South Coast’s most cosmopolitan town of Brighton.  Graeme ‘steady up’ Struthers, Cat ‘astrophe’ Channon, Terry ‘tear about’ Haynes and Simon ‘speedy’ Urquhart will be representing on your behalf.  As always all the money raised will go to the many small, British based, youth orientated charities that GamesAid, with your help is able to support.   It’s no mean feat for a fitty, let alone some of those participating that are of a more ‘sedatory’ disposition. So please dig as deep as those out on the road are going to need to do and donate here

15^th April 2013:  Stand Up for GamesAid’s Comedy Night - a first for GamesAid as we present an evening of hilarity at the renowned Comedy Store in London – book early to secure your tickets!

18^th April 2013:  MCV Awards: GamesAid tenner Intent Media are once again kindly allowing GamesAid to collect the “GamesAid tenner” at this year’s awards. If you or your colleagues are attending please encourage them to donate in advance as the tenner become £11.70 with Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer

25^th April 2013:  Guildford Games Night II  - 6.30pm to 11pm at the Mandolay Hotel, London Road, Guildford.  Supermassive Games are hosting Guildford Games Night Challenge 2013, a fun evening of serious gaming, serious drinking and serious fun, with all proceeds going to GamesAid. The Fifa and shooter (TBA) tournaments are the main events, along with classic arcade cabinet side-events including a Sega Rally Twin cabinet. Fans, supporters, groupies and hangers-on are most welcome and actively encouraged! Fifa Tournament. (Teams of 3, £100 entry per team), FPS Tournament. (Teams of 4, £100 entry per team),  Everyone else – £5 entry on the door – includes free entry to raffle.  Head on over to the Supermassive Games Just Giving Page to get involved.

 10th May – Bristol 10K – John Brookes is running the Bristol 10K on 5th May for GamesAid and you can sponsor him here.

July 2013: London 10k  – Andy Tomlinson, Ben Le Rougetel, Charlotte Le Rougetel, David Green, David Smith, Gavin Johnson, Jon Murphy, Katie Taggart, Louise Fisher, Matt Bowen, Paul Battersby & Scott Garrod are all running 10k for GamesAid on July 14th 2013. Please sponsor them here  & include the name of the person you are sponsoring in the comments section. If you are a UK tax payer please tick the Gift Aid box as a £10 donation becomes £11.70 for GamesAid.

The GamesAid Elite eBay auction made its annual return in December and raised £7253  from rare and unusual gaming merchandise donated by the industry and it’s raised over £125,000 since it began back in June 2009.   But we always need more high quality goods and merchandise – if you have any to donate, simply send them to:  Gary Winter, The Producers/Mastertronic, 2 Stonehill, Stukeley Meadows, Huntingdon, PE29 6ED.

More events and details to be announced shortly, keep an eye on the web site here, on our Facebook Page or follow our Twitter feed for breaking news!

The GamesAid choir

Months of hard work, rehearsal and preparation came to fruition last night as the GamesAid choir assembled to perform their first Christmas Games on Song carol concert in the delightful setting of St Stephen’s church, Hampstead.

The choir, which was comprised of industry stalwarts, was directed by Ian Chambers and accompanied by David Frankel on piano. They performed a packed programme of festive favourites in the first half of the show, opening with Silent Night, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and a catchy games-themed 12 Days of Christmas, before being joined by the audience for Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Click here for the first gallery of pictures from the night

Next came two delightful solos from Ms Becca Roberts singing What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve and Ms Katie Brooks performing I’ll Be Home For Christmas. The Action for Kids video of Wham’s Last Christmas also played, highlighting the great work the charity does helping children and young people with physical and learning disabilities across theUK. The first part of the programme was rounded off with a lovely duet from Ms Becca Roberts and Ian Chambers performing You Raise Me Up.

During the interval helpings of mulled wine and mince pies were cheerfully dispensed by IGN’s volunteer team of happy Christmas helper elves, whetting anticipation for the sponsored solos in the second half of the programme.

Rob Cooper sang a very elegant version of In the Bleak Midwinter, Ian Livingstone a hearty rendition of White Christmas, while Keith Ramsdale gave a fine performance of Beyond The Sea. Director Ian Chambers returned again to round off the section with The Christmas Song.

The choir came back together for a jovial We Wish You a Merry Christmas and after a fine evening’s entertainment, both choir and audience joined in a soaring version ofJerusalemto bring a rousing end to proceedings, before dispersing happily into the night bearing the broadest of smiles.

As well as a thoroughly enjoyable evening showcasing some of the previously hidden but extremely talented vocalists and musicians from the games industry, Games on Song went on to exceed all its original targets and raised over £12,000 for its supported charities on the night.

The Games on Song Choir

Directed by Ian Chambers

Piano – David Frankel

Vicky Baker (Superhero) Phil Brannelly (Thumbstar Games), Katie Brooks (Bethesda),  John Clark (Sega), Rob Cooper (Ubisoft), Sophie Cristobal (Localisation Consultant), Alan Dykes (Ubisoft), Bruce Grove (OnLive), Harry Holmwood (Marvelous), Rich Keen (IGN), Ian Livingstone (Eidos), Paul Marcantonio (ClickandBuy), Chris Marcus (Ubisoft), Tracey McGarrigan (Sci-Fi-London), Pete Oliver (Sega), Andy Payne (Mastertronic), Kirsty Payne (Rocket Media), Keith Ramsdale (Electronic Arts), Becca Roberts (Indigo Pearl), Charlotte Simmons (PR Consultant), Jo Twist (UKIE) and Ombeline Wallon (Ubisoft)

Special thanks to the Games On Song sponsors:  EA, Sega, Ubisoft, OnLive, Mastertronic, IGN, Liquid Crimson, NJ Live, and Fink Creative

Head on over to www.littlebigbunch.com now to grab your LittleBigBunch! Here’s the line-up of great games on offer:

Archon Classic

Dark Scavenger

Disciples II: Rise of the Elves Gold

Grotesque Tactics

Serious Sam The Random Encounter

Space Colony

Tofu 1&2

The Trouble with Robots

Unstoppable Gorg

Worms Reloaded

Ian Livingstone OBE, Life President of Eidos and GamesAid Trustee said, “Once again GamesAid has been overwhelmed by the incredible support we have received from indie games developers. littleBIGbunch only exists thanks to their generosity. This year we have a fantastic collection of games which we hope will appeal to gamers everywhere. Choose five great games from our selection and know that half your money is going to GamesAid and half to the amazing developers.”

What a bargain. Who said charity begins at home? Are you still here? Go fill your boots and do your good deed for Xmas with LittleBigBunch 2.

It was back in April at the MCV Awards  that Ian Chambers mentioned to Ian Livingstone and I that he had the idea of assembling a choir and performing a live concert, in front of real people, entirely made up of people from the games industry. Without really thinking it through, Ian and I said we were in and it would not be a problem to get 25 fellow games industry people together. To make things even ‘better’ we would do it as a fund raiser for GamesAid and set a target to raise £10,000 and a load of awareness to boot.

Then it dawned on me. It’s not often that one really does take oneself out of one’s comfort zone. [Or indeed refer to yourself as 'one' Ed ].  Yes we all talk about it and some of us do it, but usually we know that we can and will achieve the goal. But this choir lark means some of us i.e. me, were truly going to a new place.

So on the 19th of September this year, a few souls from the games industry assembled at the wonderful Neville Mariner rehearsal room deep in the crypt area of St Martin’s, just off Trafalgar Square in central London on the start of our journey. Could we be blended into a functioning choir?

Ian was very clear from the start. We needed to both believe we could do it and enjoy the experience. If we did that, then the hard work or the ‘note crunching‘ would become secondary and thus easier.

It turned out that we did have some ‘form’ in the gathering. Rich Keen, Becca Roberts, Harry Holmwood, Ombelline Wallon, Katie Brooks and Rob Cooper all have great voices. Ian of course is an accomplished musician and singer, although as a choir we would not have the benefit of his Alto on the night!

The overriding lessons of the early sessions were geared around the act of breathing which is vital, obviously. I was struck by just how hard this can be and how exhausting one is after just one number! We were told to stand up straight and put our weight on our toes. Look forward, head up and smile. We did as we were told. We always do.

The curve ball outside of all the physical effort and technique needed is that the songs are not always as I remembered them as a kid. Because many of them are different ‘arrangements’ we are effectively learning new songs. Without giving the game away too much, harmonies can lead us all into temptation. Temptation to sing the versions or arrangements we all know and have come to love. Unlearning can be as hard as learning especially after all these years!

Despite all of this, Ian has managed to drill us into a semblance of a harmonised unit. The 2 months have flown by, we have had 6 rehearsals which have all been well attended, given everyone is always mega busy, it’s a tribute to the dedication of the choir members (I am loathe to use choristers just yet) that we have come so far. But with less than a month to go now, we have to up our game. A lot.

So more single practice at home, in the shower or walking along the street, more rehearsals and more belief are needed. As our choir master keeps telling us there is no substitute for the hard hours we all need to put in to make sure we deliver on the night of the 19th of December.

The venue is booked, and it is stunning the wonderful St Stephen’s in Rosslyn Hil, London, NW3.

We have even got  the mince pies, mulled wine, film crew, sheet music, venue, ticketing all sponsored by the wonderful people at:  EA, Sega, Ubisoft, OnLive, Mastertronic, IGN, Liquid Crimson, NJ Live and Fink Creative.

If you would like to come along and lend your support on the night, sing along, enjoy the festive fancies and support the wonderful charity that is GamesAid www.gamesaid.org then you can buy at ticket at http://www.justgiving.com/christmasconcert .

Every single penny of your entrance fee goes to GamesAid. It’s only £20 for adults and only a tenner £10 for under-16s. 6.45pm on Wednesday 19th December 2012, mark your diary now.

Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas!

Lots of love the GamesOnSong Choir: Ian Chambers, Ian Livingstone, Kirsty Payne, Rich Keen, Becca Roberts, Amanda Farr, Peter Oliver, John Clark, Rob Cooper, Jo Twist, Katie Brooks, Chris Marcus, Alan Dykes, Ombelline Wallon, Paul Marcantonio, Charlotte Simmonds, Keith Ramsdale, Emily Britt, Bruce Grove, Sophie Cristobal, Harry Holmwood, Tracey McGarrigan,  Phil Brannelly and Andy Payne

Nine year old Reece, who was the star of last week’s BBC Newsround, came along with his dad Winston and granddad Len from Birmingham and they were by joined 5 year old Elliot and his dad Peter from Oxfordshire for their first ever England game.

Alex Nott (the father of Charlotte Nott who the charity have helped to play games after losing her limbs to meningitis), were also in attendance for a fabulous day out

Nick Streeter SpecialEffect’s fundraiser and ambassador Robbie – who walked 110 miles last year from Rugby to Twickenham to raise funds – also joined in the fun as they saw England run in six tries and triumph 54-12 winners over Fiji.

Although all five GamesAid supported charities were invited along, SpecialEffect were the ones who could attend on the day and all  the participants would like to say extend huge thanks to the wonderful Ali at 505 Games for looking after them all so well and for organising a day that will stay long in the memory.

littleBIGbunch2

LittleBIGbunch 2 will be offering gamers the chance to choose from 10 awesome games and through buying games be able to donate directly to GamesAid.

Launching on December 6th and running for one week, littleBIGbunch 2 will be announcing the games that will be included on the 21st of November but we already have a good idea of what will be included and frankly we are astounded at the support GamesAid is getting from the world of indie developers.

Get Games will be providing al the digital know how and our media partners from Future, Eurogamer, IGN and Intent Media will be doing all in their power to make sure as many gamers as possible know all about our great bunch.