Game on for Blesma - Help Injured Veterans
Do you love gaming or streaming? Take part in our gaming for charity challenge and help support injured veterans.
Gather your friends, family, and colleagues together – or go it alone, and choose your favourite game for a 3, 6, 12, or even 24-hour gaming marathon.
By starting a livestream for Blesma, you can make a real difference to the lives of veterans who have experienced life-changing limb loss or the loss of use of a limb.
How do I run a charity stream?
- Either sign up via Tiltify or contact our fundraising team at fundraising@blesma.org for more information. Once you have decided on an achievable gaming challenge, pick a date and time to run your livestream. Spread the word and ask your friends, family and followers to sponsor you – or even join in.
- Set up your fundraising page, and you will be ready to go. We can also share a link to your charity stream across our social media channels, such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook, if you tag @Blesma or email us beforehand.
- To help raise awareness on your social channels, Twitch or YouTube, make sure to download our Game On for Blesma Victory pack to help smash your fundraising target!
Whatever your plans, every penny you raise will support the work of Blesma, The Limbless Veterans. Raising money through gaming can make a massive difference!
Why game for charity?
If you want to help veterans, gaming for Blesma via a livestream is a fantastic way to do so, especially if you would prefer not to fundraise through traditional methods such as running events, bake sales or sponsored swims.
Gaming for charity is a unique and far more interactive way to raise money than other traditional fundraising methods, as it allows you to engage live online with friends, family and followers while playing your favourite PC or console games – whether that’s EA Sports FC, Rust, War Thunder or Counter-Strike. The variety of games you can choose to play is almost endless.
You don’t have to be a veteran, serve in the Armed Forces or be a Member of Blesma to take part; you simply need to be passionate about helping injured veterans. Here is how your gaming livestream could help:
- £50 could cover the travel costs to get a veteran to employment-related training or a hospital appointment.
- £200 could help provide home adaptations for an injured or limbless veteran affected by a life-changing injury.
- £500 could help 25 Limbless veterans attend a regional or local Blesma brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea to help ease isolation and loneliness.
Where to stream?
The most popular platforms for hosting a charity livestream are Twitch and YouTube. You can even stream to both platforms simultaneously to reach a wider audience and increase your total viewership.
Top Tip: Link your fundraising donation page to your Twitch page with Tiltify to make it easier for people to donate and you can start collecting donations.
When to stream?
You can of course choose to stream at any time of the year, but some streamers may choose to game for charity during key giving periods or on special anniversaries. For example, popular fundraising streaming periods tend to be before Christmas, around Halloween for a “spooky” vibe, or for our supporters, they may choose to fundraise around Armed Forces Week in June or around the anniversary of VE Day or D-Day.
How to set your target
Whether you set a target of £250 or upwards of £5,000, we recommend choosing a goal that feels achievable. If this is your first time fundraising, you might consider starting with a more modest target, such as £250; however, this should not discourage you from aiming higher or continuing to raise funds once your initial goal is met!
Ideas and inspiration for your charity stream
Not sure what kind of game to play or what type of challenge to run? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Choosing a game: The most obvious choice is to pick a game you love playing. If you are thinking of hosting a team event, you could play a first-person shooter such as PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS or a sports game such as EA Sports FC. Another option is to choose a game that is currently popular, which may help attract more viewers to your stream. You can find out what games are most popular on Steam by viewing trending games.
- Gaming marathon: Select your game (or games!) and set a time limit for your "gameathon." This could be anything from one hour up to 24 hours. However, if you decide to take on a full marathon, please ensure you take plenty of breaks and consider splitting the time with your team members.
- Gaming tournament: Challenge your friends and family to take part in your very own tournament. Ask others to donate to Blesma via your Tiltify or JustGiving page, or encourage them to pay an "entry fee" to play along with you.
- Followers in control: Stream your game on Twitch or YouTube and ask your followers to dictate how you play. They could choose your weapons, set your difficulty level, or even help you learn some new tricks. For every challenge you successfully complete, ask for a donation to Blesma.
Things to share and discuss with your audience
While you are streaming, most of the conversation will likely revolve around the game. However, you can encourage more engagement from your followers and help raise awareness of Blesma by sharing these key facts:
- Blesma was founded in the aftermath of the First World War. It’s estimated 40,000 British men lost limbs in the First World War. At the time, prosthetics were mostly wooden with leather strapping. Prosthetics have come a long way since then, with some veterans now using advanced bionic prosthetic limbs.
- Blesma helps injured and limbless veterans by providing practical, emotional and financial support to injured military personnel and their families as they rebuild their lives. These include financial assistance, advice and information on prosthetics, social activities and advocacy. Some of our activities include scuba diving, adaptive skiing and adaptive shooting.
- Blesma doesn’t just support injured and limbless veterans; we also help veterans who have lost an eye or loss of sight. Furthermore, we provide support to the widows and direct family members of Blesma Members.
- Last year alone, Blesma provided direct support to 2,697 limbless veterans and widows.
Top tips for safe streaming
Gaming is great fun, but it is also important to look after yourself. Here are some safety tips for your Game On event:
- Age limits and streaming settings: Always verify the age rating of the games you intend to play. While fundraisers must be at least 18 years old to game for Blesma, you must also ensure your stream settings are adjusted appropriately. If the game itself is rated 18+, you must restrict your stream so that audiences under the legal age cannot view the content.
- Protecting personal information: Be mindful of your privacy while broadcasting. Since public livestreams on platforms like Twitch or YouTube are accessible to almost anyone, you should never share personal details. Avoid mentioning your precise location, place of employment, or full name during the session.
- Utilising moderators: To ensure a positive environment, it is wise to set up a moderator. Unfortunately, livestreams can occasionally attract individuals who spam or "troll" the chat. We recommend asking a trusted friend or family member to moderate the stream so that any unkind comments or spam can be swiftly muted, blocked, or reported.
- Take regular breaks: Make sure you get up, stretch, and walk around for at least five minutes every hour
- Stay hydrated: Continuous gaming is thirsty work. Make sure you always have a drink with you and take a drink during your breaks too.
- Eat well: We don’t want your stomach rumbling throughout, so make sure you have snacks with you! Get family & friends involved too, so that you can take it in turns to cook and have meals ready to eat during your breaks.
- Get moving: Keep that blood flowing during your gaming. Give your legs and toes a little wiggle and make sure you get to have a little walk during your breaks.
- Get comfy: It’s important to be positioned in a comfortable way, at least 20 inches away from the screen, and sat so that so that your neck can be relaxed and straight throughout your session.
- Sleep: Before and after your hours of gaming, get some well-earned rest. If you are falling asleep at the controller, it is time to switch off.
- Look after your eyes: Give your eyes a break away from the screen, at least for a few minutes every hour. You could even invest in some blue light glasses, to help prevent damage from the screen’s glare.
If you are not feeling well, stop the stream – even if you have committed to more hours. You can always pick up where you left off, but you must look after yourself first.
You should also be mindful that you do not feel compelled to keep playing over other activities, or at detriment to yourself. The World Health Organisation has recently recognised gaming disorder as a medical issue. Although not common in Europe, this is something to be mindful of. If you are concerned you can find more information and support at UK Addiction Treatment Centres.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like further information about signing up to Game on for Blesma
We can help
We are dedicated to assisting serving and ex-Service men and women who have suffered life-changing limb loss or the use of a limb, an eye or sight. We support these men and women in their communities throughout the UK. Click the link below to find out the different kinds of support we offer.
Get Support- How do I get involved?
Simply fill out our registration form with your details, tell us about your idea, then you can open your fundraising page and get your Game on! You can make your Game on event whatever, and whenever you want it to be, so get creative.
When you register to take part, you will be asked if you wish to create a Charity Checkout page, or use Tiltify, a fundraising platform created with gamers in mind.
- I’m not sure how to get started?
Don’t worry if this is your first-time fundraising, Blesma will be there for you every step of the way, with tips, tricks, and a bank of resources and tools to help you get going. Don’t forget to shout about your challenge on Social media, and tag Blesma when you do – we may even share it on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
To speak to the team please call 0208 548 7088 or email fundraising@blesma.org
Tag us: @Blesma #GameOnForBlesma #GameOn
- How can I share my game?
By streaming your game online using a platform such as Twitch, Mixer or Youtube, you can ask your followers and fans to donate as you play, and you can provide a link so they can go there directly.
- Can I really play whatever game I like?
Any game, any console, the choice really is yours. Whether it’s an old favourite or the newest game of the hour, make sure you choose a game you love.
If you have chosen a violent game or one that is rated 18+ you also need to make sure you mark your stream age appropriately on Twitch (or the streaming platform you are using). Similarly, if you will not be having a PG stream due to the language you use you will need to make sure this is clear.
- Can my children play?
Unfortunately, Game on for Blesma is only for adults. We have a whole host of ideas which are suitable for our future fundraisers however. Check them out here.
- Can I get my game on with my friends?
Why not? Have it your way. You could all create your own fundraising pages or work together towards one shared target.
- Is my personal information safe?
If you want to hear more on how Blesma holds your data, you can read more here.
As well as by following these links.
- What about Gift Aid?
Unfortunately, the tax claimed on Gift Aid donations does not form part of your fundraising total. However please do encourage your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box if they are UK tax payers as this is an important source of additional income for Blesma.
- Still have more questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact the team at fundraising@blesma.org or give them a call on 0208 548 7088