• Swindon & Wiltshire Community champions
• Tuesday September 6 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Black Nova trio celebrate Video Games Day by taking on a 24-hour gaming charity challenge

The team at Calne-based tech firm Black Nova Designs will be celebrating this year’s Video Games Day next Monday by staging a 24-hour gaming challenge to help raise awareness of mental health issues.

Boss Kyle Holmes will be joined by website developer Steven Willis and IT technician Dean Baker for an entire day and night of non-stop gaming.

The trio will be streaming the event live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch from 23:59 Sunday, September 11 to 23:59 Monday 12th.

Not only will this give viewers the chance to view the team, it will encourage and involve everyone who takes part, donates, and watches.

Supported by their colleagues throughout the 24 hours, the boys are motivated to complete the challenge and raise money for mental health charity MIND while demonstrating how gaming, especially where you need to work with other players can have huge benefits for wellbeing.

Within each platform will be a direct link that allows users to donate £1 to the cause.

Kyle said: “Being a lifelong gamer, I know how much enjoyment you can get from playing video games. Either playing alone or with friends, it can give you a real sense of achievement, boost your self-esteem and it can put a smile on your face.

Linking up with your friends to chat while playing can also really help to combat stress and loneliness. It can be a really fun way to relax.”

The trio will play a wide variety of games, collaborating and working together to overcome the challenges posed by Call of Duty, League of Legends and PUBG, among others.

“I know how much gaming has helped me and the idea of the livestream event was to not only raise money for a great charity but to give others an insight into the fun the three of us have while gaming,” Kyle added.

Earlier this year, Kyle and is team also launched a series of free weekend events for young people teaching them how to build their own gaming PC while helping them to stay safe online.

His inspiration came from his stepdaughter and how being online with friends helped her cope with her feelings during the pandemic.

“Being able to talk to her friends online kept her feeling like she wasn’t alone, she wasn’t excluded from her peers,” his wife Danielle, who is also a director of Black Nova, said.

Video Games Day originated in the USA and the industry has continually grown, with an estimated three billion gamers worldwide and the number increasing each year. Said to be worth over $100 billion with $4.5 billion spent on games each year, the industry is a driving force in society.

While money plays a large factor in gaming with platforms being involved in betting and sports, the principle stays the same. Gaming is a form of entertainment, for users to enjoy and seek relief from day-to-day life.

It has also been shown to have many benefits, not least the social aspect of solving problems, whether playing alone or with friends.

Research shows that playing video games can also improve memory, coordination, social skills and improve your mood which all have real benefits for wellbeing and mental health.