This holiday season, Save the Children is set to roll out its very first gaming‑focused fundraising initiative, a live‑streamed event dubbed Save Point. The concept emerged from a broader ambition to deepen the organization’s connection with the gaming community, according to senior fundraising manager Fiona Baxter, who spoke with GamesIndustry.biz about the project’s origins and goals. Baxter explained that Save Point was conceived as a way to reach gamers and streamers in a manner that feels natural to them, rather than relying on traditional, physically demanding challenges such as marathon runs. "Not everyone can run a marathon, but a gaming marathon is far more inclusive," she said.
"By creating an event that invites both partnership opportunities and individual participation, we can showcase the diverse ways supporters can contribute to our cause." The charity has teamed up with popular online creator and streamer TheKapFantastic, who previously helped raise more than £5,000 for Save the Children earlier this year. This collaboration marks the beginning of what Baxter hopes will be a long‑term relationship with the gaming ecosystem.
"After the event, we want to keep nurturing these connections," she noted. "If we can introduce more members of the gaming community to the vital work we do and why it matters, we’ll have achieved a major win. I’ll consider the event a success if we walk away with a fresh cohort of gamers who are eager to support us again because of the experience they had." Because Save Point is a brand‑new format for the charity, Baxter emphasized the learning potential built into the initiative. "This is our first foray into a gaming‑centric fundraiser, so the feedback we receive will be priceless.
It will help us refine and expand future gaming events, making them larger and more impactful each year," she said. She also praised gamers and streamers as "the unsung heroes of fundraising," observing that the gaming world is beginning to set a "new, innovative standard" for charitable support. "There’s a shared understanding among game lovers that we’re a community driven by stories, imagination, and the desire to escape into new realms through play," Baxter explained. "When we channel that passion into real‑world change, we demonstrate just how powerful and effective the gaming community can be." Save Point is a key component of Save the Children’s broader campaign, "The One Delivery That Matters," which launches in November 2026.
The campaign aims to shift public attention from holiday gifts to the essential supplies that many children desperately need during the festive period—items such as nutritious food, vital medicines, warm clothing, and safe sleeping arrangements. Baxter highlighted the stark contrast between typical holiday deliveries and the life‑saving aid the charity provides. "Anyone can order a toy or a treat with a tap of a screen, but for millions of children this Christmas, the deliveries they’re hoping for are food, medicine, and protection," she said.
"Those are the items that truly preserve childhood and save lives." Save Point is scheduled to run over two days, from December 5 to December 6, 2026. Participants can sign up by expressing their interest through a dedicated registration link, which also supplies guidance on setting up a fundraising livestream. Once registered, gamers can choose to host their own streams, invite viewers to donate, or simply join existing streams hosted by partnered creators like TheKapFantastic.
The event will feature a variety of gaming genres, from competitive e‑sports tournaments to casual play‑throughs, ensuring there is something for every type of gamer. In addition to live streaming, the initiative includes interactive elements such as donation milestones that unlock in‑game rewards, leaderboards that highlight top fundraisers, and special guest appearances from well‑known developers and influencers. These features are designed to keep audiences engaged and to encourage friendly competition that translates into higher donation totals.
Baxter stressed that the ultimate aim is not just to raise money for this single event, but to lay the groundwork for an ongoing partnership between the charity and the gaming sector. "We see this as the first chapter in a longer story," she said. "If we can prove that gaming events can generate meaningful support, we’ll be able to scale up, involve more creators, and explore new formats—perhaps even virtual reality experiences or collaborative game development projects that directly benefit children in need." The charity also plans to use the data and insights gathered during Save Point to inform future campaigns.
By analyzing viewer engagement, donation patterns, and participant feedback, Save the Children hopes to refine its approach to digital fundraising and to better align its messaging with the values and interests of the gaming community. Overall, Save Point represents a bold experiment in merging entertainment with philanthropy, leveraging the reach and enthusiasm of gamers to address pressing humanitarian needs. As the event approaches, the organization invites anyone with a love for gaming—and a desire to make a difference—to join the cause, turn their screens into a conduit for compassion, and help ensure that children worldwide receive the essential deliveries that truly matter this Christmas.