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Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity has announced its new Gamer-in-Residence role after more than £100,000 was raised through the Games for the Weans campaign in 2023.
The charity, in conjunction with partners Devolver Digital and Neonhive, announced the role (the first full-time role of its kind in the UK and Ireland) at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.
The Gamer-in-Residence will aim to provide children in Scotland’s busiest children’s hospital with their ‘Player Two’ (or someone to game with), helping them find a way to relax, reduce potential feelings of isolation and boredom, and distract them during their time in the hospital.
Steven Mair, 26, is the first to take on the Gamer-in-Residence role this year. The role was fully funded by gamers in Scotland, via the Scottish games industry, community organisations and gaming fundraisers. He was previously marketing officer at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.
It comes after recent medical studies demonstrated a link between playing video games and reduced feelings of anxiety in the hospital, with some even suggesting video games could reduce pain.
As well as gaming with young patients, the Gamer-in-Residence Steven Mair is planning games-themed events in the hospital, such as a launch day celebration of football game EA Sports FC 25, managing the charity’s gaming volunteers, and continues to fundraise for new gaming equipment on the wards.
Last year, more than £100,000 was raised to help children game in hospital with the Games for the Weans campaign, including £48,500 worth of gifts in kind from Neonhive and Sparck, and fundraising activities like the Dundee Kiltwalk, charity streaming and the first ever Scottish Games Sale on Steam.
“Thank you to everyone across the gaming community for supporting this unique initiative to help young patients from across the country game in hospital. Not only will your support fund more consoles and games for the children’s hospital, but it now also means Scotland’s young patients will always have a Player Two.”
Kirsten Watson, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity
The service was also boosted earlier this year with a $12,000 donation from across the Atlantic with the support of American charity Child’s Play; this will be spent on hospital-adapted consoles that will replace outdated Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems, which are likely to be more than a decade old.
Catherine Reid, mother of seven-year-old Jace, said: “Children in Jace’s ward can have long stays and intense treatment plans. This can include physical pain and a lot of new emotions. Often, parents can feel helpless at times. For my son Jace in particular, he is an experienced gamer. His blood disorder prevented him from going outside or starting school.
“When the Gamer-in-Residence came round to play Mario on the Nintendo, he immediately lit up and smiled. It was an instant energy boost for him mentally and physically. In reality, I think often what kids want is some quality time and gaming with new friends.”
Kirsten Watson, CEO at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, commented: “Thank you to everyone across the gaming community for supporting this unique initiative to help young patients from across the country game in hospital.
“Not only will your support fund more consoles and games for the children’s hospital, but it now also means Scotland’s young patients will always have a Player Two.”
Kate Ludlow, Spec Ops at Devolver Digital, added: “We are proud to support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity in their efforts to offer their young patients the adventures, escapism, and fun that video games provide. We look forward to continuing support for their Games for the Weans programme.”
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity funds vital projects and support services for young patients, their families and the NHS heroes caring for them at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children and across Glasgow’s three Neonatal Units.
The games industry has other charity work in hospitals. For example, TheRockinR is a family-run British games charity set up in memory of Reece Miree that provides Medical Gaming Carts to young people in hospitals across the UK and Ireland.
And in other recent Scottish gaming news, Scottish Esports launched as a new national body for esports in Scotland.
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity is seeking new gamers and streamers to fundraise for children in hospital. The money raised will help young patients in Glasgow game during their stay on the wards. Contact the Gamer-in-Residence for more information at [email protected]
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
