Let’s face it, we’re quite possibly are living in the darkest timeline. During this global pandemic, times are tough. In the best case scenario, we’re being asked to stay at home and social distance. Others, have it a lot harder, whether they’re front line medical workers that need to go in everyday, essential like grocery store workers, or people from lower incomes that may be hit harder from the loss of income. We’ve also seen great acts of support and community, of people coming together (figuratively) to help each other through a crisis. Sometimes moments like these bring out the best in people. As Fred Rogers’ mother used to say, ‘Look for the helpers.’

One group of people that may have a tougher time understanding and thus dealing with this crisis is kids. They get that something is going on, but why, and how it affects them is hard to process. This is felt even more acutely on their birthdays, when they should been celebrating in a sugar-induced frenzy with all their friends around them. 

One game company has taken steps to brighten up the birthdays of kids affected by the Covid-19 crisis. Gamely Games has donated 200 games for kids who missed out on their birthday parties during social distancing in March and April. They’ve called on fans on their Facebook page to nominate kids for the program.

“As a company we feel very lucky to still be operating during such a challenging time and we are keen to spread as much joy as possible. We’ve actually seen sales soar since the lockdown began as laughter and fun (which our games provide) has become even more precious,” said Gamely CEO, Hazel Reynolds.

“We’ve also loved hearing that people are using our games to connect with those they can’t see in person – our games Soundiculous and Frozen Unicorns work particularly well on Zoom and other video chats and it’s wonderful to think these games are helping people enjoy moments of laughter and lightness when the current situation sometimes feels so dark.” 

The company is not done yet. They have selected 100 more kids who will miss out on having a real birthday party in the coming months. The program looks to assist kids from low income families, directing the aid to where it can be most helpful.

Gamely has also made other incredible efforts to support their community in this time of need including:

• Sending out £600 of games to be given to 48 low-income families in Brighton & Hove through the CHOMP project 

• Working with Brighton & Hove council to get £800 of games to 64 families in emergency accommodation.

• Donating £1,000 to the National Emergencies Trust (NET) Covid-19 Emergency Appeal (doubled to £2,000 by The Big Give) 

• Donating £1,000 to Give Directly’s International Response, distributing cash to hard-hit families in extreme poverty.

It’s really heartening to know how hard some companies will work for the greater good. Thanks for all your hard work Gamely Games!

Stay Safe out there folks and remember, we’re all in this together!