This holiday season, Save the Children is set to debut its very first gaming‑focused fundraising campaign, titled Save Point. The initiative merges video‑game play and live streaming to raise awareness and funds for children in need during the festive period. Fiona Baxter, the organization’s senior fundraising manager, shared with GamesIndustry.biz that the concept for Save Point emerged from a broader ambition to deepen the charity’s connection with the gaming community. "We wanted a way to reach gamers and streamers in a manner that felt natural to them," Baxter said.
"Traditional charity events like marathons are fantastic, but not everyone can participate in a physical challenge. By creating a gaming‑centric fundraiser, we open the doors to a wider audience who can support us from their own homes." According to Baxter, Save Point offers a dual‑track approach: it invites established gaming influencers to partner with the charity, while also encouraging individual supporters to host their own livestreams or gaming sessions to collect donations. "It’s about giving people a platform that aligns with their passions," she explained.
"When someone loves games, they can turn that enthusiasm into tangible help for children facing hardship." The charity has already secured a partnership with popular online creator and streamer TheKapFantastic, who previously helped raise more than £5,000 for Save the Children earlier this year. This collaboration serves as a proof of concept, demonstrating how a single influencer’s audience can translate into significant financial support for vulnerable youngsters. Looking beyond the immediate event, Baxter emphasized the organization’s desire to cultivate lasting relationships with gamers and content creators. "If we can show the gaming community the impact of their contributions, we hope they’ll continue to champion our cause in future campaigns," she said.
"Our measure of success isn’t just the amount raised on December 5‑6, but the network of advocates we build for the long term." Baxter also highlighted the learning curve involved in launching a novel fundraiser. "This is our first foray into a gaming‑driven campaign, so we’re eager to gather feedback from participants, viewers, and partners. That insight will be invaluable as we refine the format and aim to host even larger, more sophisticated events in the years to come," she noted.
She described gamers and streamers as "the unsung heroes of fundraising," pointing out that the gaming ecosystem is beginning to set a "new, innovative standard" for charitable engagement. "Gamers are storytellers at heart," Baxter observed. "We all love immersive narratives, creative worlds, and the sense of escape that games provide.
When we channel that love into real‑world impact, we showcase just how powerful the gaming community can be when it rallies around a cause." Save Point is a cornerstone of Save the Children’s broader "The One Delivery That Matters" campaign, slated to launch in November 2026. The campaign seeks to shift the public’s focus from traditional holiday gifts to essential deliveries that children in crisis truly need—such as nutritious food, life‑saving medication, warm clothing, and safe shelter. "In the digital age, we can order almost anything with a few taps," Baxter remarked. "But for millions of children this Christmas, the most critical items aren’t toys or sweets—they’re the basic provisions that ensure they survive and thrive.
By framing the fundraiser around a gaming event, we hope to inspire people to think about delivering hope rather than just presents." Save Point is scheduled to run over two days, from December 5 to December 6, 2026. Participants can sign up through a dedicated registration portal, where they will receive guidance on setting up a fundraising livestream, tips for engaging their audience, and resources to maximize donation potential.
The event will feature a variety of activities, including live gameplay marathons, charity speed‑run challenges, and interactive Q&A sessions with both Save the Children staff and gaming personalities. Viewers will have the opportunity to donate directly through integrated platforms, with real‑time progress bars displaying how close the community is to meeting its fundraising targets.
By blending entertainment with philanthropy, Save Point aims to create a vibrant, inclusive space where gamers of all skill levels can contribute to a cause that matters deeply to the charity’s mission. The organization hopes that the momentum generated by this inaugural event will lay the groundwork for an annual tradition, positioning the gaming world as a pivotal partner in the fight to protect children’s rights and wellbeing worldwide. For anyone interested in joining the movement, the registration link provides all the necessary details on how to get started, from technical setup to promotional strategies.
As Baxter concluded, "When we combine the passion of gamers with the urgency of our mission, we can deliver real change—one stream, one game, one donation at a time."