Published: Thu 31 Oct 2013
Jagex launches the Well of Goodwill to kick off a month long November charity drive. Jagex and RuneScape 3
Thursday 31st October, Cambridge, UK: Jagex Games Studio, makers of the multi-award winning online adventure game, RuneScape, today announced the launch of a month long charity campaign designed to convert virtual gifting into real-world donations to support disadvantaged, at risk or seriously ill young people.
Launching today, the Well of Goodwill will offer RuneScape players across the world the chance to gift some of their in-game wealth to charity. Players will be able to donate in game items, gold or even RuneScape Bonds into the Well. For every 10 million gold pieces gifted by the community, Jagex will donate $1 to a number of charitable causes including GamesAid, Willow Foundation, SpecialEffect, Action for Kids and the Internet Watch Foundation.
“At Jagex, we have always been passionate about our charity work,” commented Riaan Hodgson, Chief Operating Officer at Jagex. “As a company, we regularly raise funds and donate thousands of pounds to charities each year. However, we have been keen to create an innovative way to involve our community for some time, and hopefully as a result, scale the effectiveness and reach of our charitable giving efforts. With the Well of Goodwill, we believe we have created a perfect system to allow our players to support worthy charities through their in-game efforts without affecting their own real-world pockets.”
A real-time totaliser, showing the total donations and featuring top donors can be viewed on the RuneScape website, http://www.runescape.com/charity.
Notes to Editors
In addition to this activity, Jagex will also be supporting Gaming Tuesday, part of the global #GivingTuesday fundraising day on Tuesday 3rd December 2013.
About Jagex
Starting in 2001 with their flagship free-to-play adventure game, RuneScape, Jagex has created a long-standing reputation for crafting the world’s best online games services. Today they stand as the UK’s largest independent games developers and publishers. With over 40 titles published to date, Jagex prides itself on developing and publishing hugely popular, accessible, free-to-play online games for millions of players globally. For more information please visit www.Jagex.com.
About RuneScape
Venture forth into the rich and immersive medieval fantasy world of Gielinor, where even the smallest of actions affect the vast world around you. Recognised repeatedly by Guinness World Records as the world’s most popular free-to-play MMORPG, with over 200 million players and counting. RuneScape offers unparalleled levels of choice to its players, where they can be anyone, slay anything and go anywhere in their own unique open world adventure, all within the computer browser. Start your greatest adventure today at www.RuneScape.com.
About Willow
Willow is the only UK charity supporting seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds by providing them with memorable Special Days.
During uncertain times, each unique Special Day is a positive focus away from treatment or marks recovery from illness. The planning, anticipation and excitement of the day boosts confidence, provides inspiration to make every moment count and creates lasting memories.
Founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter Bob Wilson and wife Megs this year Willow will provide its 10,000th Special Day.
About SpecialEffect
SpecialEffect is an award-winning charity that helps people with disabilities to benefit from the fun, rehabilitation and therapy of video games. They support people of all ages through assessments, equipment loans and equipment modifications.
About Action For Kids
Action For Kids has been helping transform the lives of young people with physical and learning disabilities, across the country, since 1991, through the provision of mobility equipment, learning, training and support.
For more information please visitwww.actionforkids.org.
About GamesAid
GamesAid is a games industry charity which acts as an umbrella to support a number of smaller charities who help disadvantaged and disabled young people. Administered expense free by Trustees within the games industry as a fully democratic charity, members of the games industry propose and vote for the charities of their choice annually, charities that are selected then get an equal share of all the monies raised that year, proving that games and gamers can do great things for others.
About the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
The Internet Watch Foundation is the internet Hotline for anyone to report online child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world.
For more information or to report a website visit www.iwf.org.uk.
Press Contact
Jagex Games Studio
Sam Forrest
Email: [email protected]
Tel: + 44 (0) 844 588 6629
Local MP Ian Sollom learned about the herculean task faced by analysts at the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) who find, assess and remove child sexual abuse material on the internet.
