This is a press release posted alongside our usual editorial content.

GamesAid, the UK’s games industry charity, has appointed six new trustees to its board – including Dom Shaw as Vice Chair, Amelia Suchy as Treasurer and Catherine Anderson as Secretary – as £82,000 raised in the 2025/26 financial year begins making a tangible difference for the seriously ill, disabled and neurodivergent children and young people it supports.

The funds were split equally between four charities – AFK, Autistica, Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity and Solving Kids’ Cancer UK – which received £20,500 each. Among the results: Rays of Sunshine will grant gaming-related wishes for 15 seriously or terminally ill young people, including 12-year-old Kearyn, whose iPad wish has given him an easier way to play Minecraft despite his sight loss; and AFK has funded specialist mobility equipment for children including six-year-old Ivy, helping her rebuild strength after hip surgery and keep up with friends on her bike. Full impact stories from all four charities are below.

The total was raised through events, tombolas, raffles and other fundraising activity across the year, and was formally presented at a cheque-giving ceremony on 8 May 2025 at Mason & Fifth Westbourne Park in London. Fundraising has continued at pace since: GamesAid recently raised £30,070 at Develop:Brighton, the UK games industry’s flagship conference, through events including comedy night Stand Up for GamesAid, Mark Ward’s Charity Poker Tournament – now in its 18th year – and the Tombola on the expo floor. Key upcoming events are the annual Golf and Spa Day (3 September) and Go-Karting (10 September), which still have spots available for participants.

“We are incredibly proud of what the GamesAid community has achieved this year. The games industry has faced significant challenges in recent times, and it means a great deal that so many people have continued to give their time, energy and support to our work. Whether you attended one of our events, took part in a tombola, or bought a raffle ticket, or simply spread the word – every contribution made this possible. The charities we support do extraordinary work for children and young people across the UK, and this funding will help them reach even more.” – Sara Veal, Chair, GamesAid

GamesAid also thanks outgoing trustees Mark Washbrook, outgoing Secretary, and Gavin Smith, outgoing Treasurer, both of whom have been a great support to GamesAid during their tenure. Full biographies of all six new trustees, and impact stories from each of the four 2025/26 charities, follow below – along with details of the five charities elected by GamesAid members to receive support in 2026/27.

New trustees: full biographies

The new appointments join existing trustee Sara Veal, who continues as Chair.

Dom Shaw – Vice Chair

Dom is a video games professional working across the ecosystem, including as Events Officer for the IWGB Game Workers Union and Founder of Sussex Games. He is best known for his award-winning EDI work, having led the #RaiseTheGame pledge from 2020 to 2024 and transforming it into a flagship industry initiative. He has also mentored through Limit Break and supported charities including Autistica, Everyone Can and Lifelites.

Catherine Anderson – Secretary

Catherine has worked in the games industry for over 25 years, including as an accountant at Eidos and Take Two. Since 2012 she has worked at Green Man Gaming, latterly as part-time Company Secretary. She is also Treasurer at her local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Amelia Suchy – Treasurer

Amelia brings over 25 years of experience in project management and business operations across software and consulting businesses. She relocated to the UK over a decade ago to help scale an international operation, navigating complex regulatory environments while building inclusive, values-driven cultures.

Greg Weller – Trustee

Greg is Head of Gaming Partnerships at Generation Media, with 20 years’ experience across the entertainment industry. After starting his career in music at EMI, Sony and Virgin, he moved into senior marketing roles at Rockstar Games, Bethesda and Team17, working on titles including GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Skyrim and Dishonored.

Jon Paterson – Trustee

Jon is Games and Creative Innovation Lead at Barclays, where he has worked since 2018 to support the growth of the UK games and creative industries. His work spans major industry partnerships and sponsorships, large-scale events including the EGX Barclays Rezzed Stage and Scottish games events, and strategic projects across the sector.

Matthieu Gras – Trustee

Matt is CEO and Co-Founder of CineRPG CIC, a volunteer-led non-profit based in Bristol that uses film, games and fandom to reduce loneliness and social isolation. He has held the role since April 2024.

 

Charity impact: full stories

Each of the four 2025/26 charities shared how their £20,500 donation is translating into direct support for the children and young people they work with.

AFK | Working With Disability

Disabled and neurodivergent children, young people and their families face daily barriers to good health, secure employment and social inclusion, with poverty placing an especially heavy burden on families with disabled children. AFK provides specialist mobility equipment and employment support programmes, and is currently seeing an unprecedented number of equipment applications amid statutory cuts and other charities closing their waiting lists.

The GamesAid donation is allowing AFK to keep its equipment waiting list open and provide expert employment coaching to disabled and neurodivergent young people. Six-year-old Ivy from Brighton, who has spina bifida and recently underwent hip reconstruction surgery, needed equipment to rebuild strength after three months in a cast – and to simply be a six-year-old able to play with her friends. AFK’s Mobility team sourced a trike tailored to her rehabilitation needs, delivered in her favourite colour, sparkle pink, so she could join friends cycling around her cul-de-sac and exploring the beach near her home. Donations like GamesAid’s fund specialist equipment for more children like Ivy.

“Everyone at AFK is thrilled to be selected as a GamesAid partner. We are so grateful for the support of everyone in the industry who raised funds, attended or sponsored an event and selected AFK to receive this incredible donation. The perfect item of mobility equipment or getting your dream paid job is simply life-changing. Thank you on behalf of all the disabled children, young people and families you are supporting.” – Lyn Prodger, Corporate Partnerships Manager, AFK

Autistica

Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity, working towards a more inclusive society where autistic people can live happier, healthier, longer lives. The GamesAid donation is supporting a pilot Employment Readiness Programme to help neurodivergent young people transition from education into work, work with transport policymakers to make public transport more accessible, and the testing of a strengths and needs toolkit to help mainstream schools support autistic and neurodivergent pupils.

The funding is also helping Autistica stay at the forefront of tech and AI innovation, creating digital tools and practical support that reach autistic families faster and more effectively.

“Half of those on the autism diagnosis waitlist are under 18. Autistic young people need better support now. The continued support of GamesAid and the games industry is helping us develop and scale evidence-based solutions so we can help young autistic people live happier, healthier, longer lives.” – Giorgia Molinari, Head of Partnerships, Autistica

Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity

Rays of Sunshine brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children – more than 100,000 across the UK, a number that grows every year – by granting magical wishes, providing ongoing community support and bringing joy into hospitals. Many of the children it supports are gamers themselves, using the hobby to stay connected with friends when illness keeps them in hospital or isolated from loved ones.

GamesAid’s donation will help Rays of Sunshine grant gaming-related wishes for 15 seriously or terminally ill young people. Among them is 12-year-old Kearyn, who lives with neurofibromatosis, glaucoma and optic pathway glioma affecting his eyesight, making it hard for him to play his favourite game, Minecraft, on a television or computer screen. His wish for an iPad has given him an easier way to play – and, his mum says, a tool he will increasingly rely on to navigate daily life as his eyesight deteriorates, using voice commands and a room-scanning app to avoid obstacles. “It was more than just a new piece of tech for him, it’s a lifeline,” she says.

“We are incredibly grateful to GamesAid and its members for their fundraising efforts this year, which will help us grant gaming-related wishes for 15 seriously or terminally ill young people across the UK. For many of the children we support, gaming is far more than just entertainment, it’s a vital way to stay connected with friends, have fun, and find moments of escape during incredibly challenging times. We receive no government funding, and it is only with support from organisations like GamesAid that we can continue to bring joy, hope and lasting memories to seriously ill children throughout their childhood.” – Nicola Aquila, Head of Fundraising, Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity

Solving Kids’ Cancer UK

Solving Kids’ Cancer UK is working towards a future where no child dies of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma or suffers due to the treatment they receive, and where no family faces childhood cancer alone – from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond. This year the charity is focused on advancing research into safer, more effective treatments and growing its post-treatment support offer, recognising that families still need support once clinical care ends.

The GamesAid donation will help sustain and grow the charity’s Family Support Service, with a particular focus on life beyond treatment. £20,500 could fund six-week post-treatment support programmes for families, helping parents and carers process trauma, connect with others and support their child’s recovery – or fund a Family Support Coordinator with lived experience of caring for a child with neuroblastoma for 12 hours a week for a year, providing compassionate, expert support from diagnosis through every stage of treatment and beyond.

“We are incredibly grateful to GamesAid and its members for their unwavering support, both through this generous donation and the incredible fundraising they deliver throughout the year. Childhood cancer turns life upside down for families, and too often the challenges don’t end when treatment does. This funding will help us be there at that critical moment, providing expert, compassionate support so families aren’t left to navigate life beyond cancer alone. It will make a real difference, helping parents rebuild confidence, process trauma, and support their child to move forward with hope.” – Danielle Russell, Director of Fundraising & Engagement, Solving Kids’ Cancer UK

2026/27 charities

The five charities nominated by GamesAid members and elected by member vote – reflecting the charity’s fully democratic model:

• AFK / Action For Kids (returning)
• Solving Kids’ Cancer UK (returning)
• Game Therapy UK (previously supported)
• Apart of Me (first time)
• Spectrum Gaming (first time)

Each will receive in-kind support throughout the year and a cash donation following the end of GamesAid’s fundraising year.

AFK / Action For Kids

AFK provides specialist and life-changing mobility equipment and employability support for disabled and neurodivergent children and young people around the UK. Disabled, autistic and neurodivergent children and young people face huge barriers to accessing appropriate mobility equipment and the freedom, improved health and inclusion it enables, as well as to the financial security offered by secure, sustainable paid work. AFK provides vital specialist mobility equipment for disabled children and young people from birth to age 25 nationally, covering all maintenance and repair costs, while its employment coaches support London’s disabled and neurodivergent young people – in education or beyond it – with the skills, confidence and networks to gain secure paid work.

Solving Kids’ Cancer UK

Solving Kids’ Cancer UK is fighting for a future where no child dies of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma or suffers due to its treatment, advancing science through investment in clinical research. With children and families firmly at its heart, the charity provides vital support to those affected by neuroblastoma, drives innovative clinical research, and raises awareness of the impact of childhood cancer, working under three key pillars of research, support and awareness. Its Family Support Service provides emotional, practical and financial support, impartial information, and help for families to access their choice of treatment options, while the charity advocates and campaigns for greater and better access to treatments that improve survival and quality of life for children with cancer.

Game Therapy UK

Game Therapy UK provides innovative, evidence-based therapeutic tabletop games, including Dungeons and Dragons, to aid the recovery of young people experiencing social isolation or trauma. A grassroots organisation run entirely by volunteers, it runs gaming projects – from tabletop RPGs to board games, digital platforms and mindful painting – for young people who are school-excluded, autistic, refugees, experiencing homelessness or have special educational needs, helping them explore identity, build confidence, regulate emotions, develop empathy and social skills, and manage anxiety, trauma and neurodivergence. Its research faculty of medical practitioners and academics works within an evidence-based framework at the forefront of the field, and thanks to supporters including GamesAid, its projects remain free to the young people who use them.

Apart of Me

Apart of Me creates safe spaces for young people to transform their grief into compassion and wisdom. Every year in the UK, 46,300 children and young people lose a parent or a sibling, and too many face that loss in silence and without support. Apart of Me creates safe, compassionate spaces, in schools and online, where bereaved young people feel seen and heard; through its programmes and therapeutic game, young people discover they are not alone, build resilience and find their voice – and many go on to help others find theirs too. Unaddressed grief in childhood and adolescence can affect mental health, relationships and engagement with education for years to come, and Apart of Me provides a companion through grief, helping young people manage their loss without being defined by it, reaching them where they are through trusted school environments and digital platforms.

Spectrum Gaming

Spectrum Gaming is an autistic-led UK charity creating joyful, safe spaces with autistic young people and driving meaningful societal change. Based in Greater Manchester and operating online across the UK, it supports autistic young people aged 10-17 who experience long-term isolation, burnout and mental distress, providing daily moderated digital youth spaces on Discord and Minecraft, regular in-person meetups at its youth centre in Bury and across the region, and advocacy and training to help families, schools and services better support autistic young people. For many of the young people it works with, gaming is a vital coping strategy that helps them manage distress, build friendships and community, develop life skills and recover from burnout – and each year, Spectrum Gaming supports around 1,000 autistic young people to rebuild confidence, form meaningful connections and re-engage with learning and life.

Join GamesAid as a member

GamesAid is a membership organisation open to anyone working in the UK games industry. Membership is free and gives members the right to nominate and vote for the charities GamesAid supports each year, attend member-only events, and receive a monthly membership mailer. Members shape the direction of the charity.

Find out more and join at www.gamesaid.org

About GamesAid

GamesAid is the UK games industry charity, raising funds for UK charities working with children and young people. As the only fully democratic charity in the games space, members of the games industry nominate and vote for supported charities each year. GamesAid is run entirely by volunteer trustees. Registered charity number: 1081706. www.gamesaid.org