Leighton-Linslade teenager takes on live 24 hour gaming marathon to raise funds for Chums

Adam Gorry, 18, along with his friends Matty Clarke and Ross Langham will be playing non-stop from 10am on Sunday (June 21) until 10am on Monday to raise as much as they can for the mental health service for young people. 

The stamina fuelled trio will also be taking on some other eager gamers, who will be swopping in and out during the 24 hours, with the likes of Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Fortnite on the cards. 

Chums charity holds a special place in Adam’s heart, because it provided him with vital support after his mum, Jackie Gorry, passed away aged 51.

Adam said: “My mum died in 2017 from breast cancer. It was abrupt; she was diagnosed in October 2016 and died in July.

“I was approached by Chums to do a workshop with other young people in a similar situation.

“They helped me to rationalise my emotions and see that I wasn’t an exception or an abnormality. Lots of people go through loss, although they may not be very public about it.

“It enabled me to realise that I could have control over my grief; when I have feelings in the future I can acknowledge them and move past them - instead of it taking hours or days.”

With lockdown taking its toll on charities, Adam wanted to reach out to Chums, especially as they are a local service. 

The charity supports families in Bedfordshire, offering services specialising in Bereavement, Emotional Wellbeing, Trauma, Recreational Therapy, Young Carers, Babyloss, Friendship and Family Wellbeing. 

Adam said: “My mum would certainly be proud of me doing it.

“She was warm, bubbly - how do you describe the most important person in your life?

“She entirely devoted her life to me, and spent every second making me the happiest I could be.

“I lost the most important person in the world - but I thought, ‘I can still be important to other people’.”

Adam is now on a mission to make a difference, and is inviting the public to donate and watch his live gaming session online. 

When certain milestones are reached, the team will be doing some fun challenges, and if £500 is raised during the live stream, Ross will be shaving his hair off!

Commenting on what will be the biggest challenge, Matt laughed: “Remaining entertaining for for 24 hours! I’ve never done streaming before, but we’ve got lots of different games to keep it interesting. 

“And I’m looking forward to seeing people’s reactions to the challenges!”

Adam recently completed his A Levels at Cedars Upper School and is waiting for his results in August. 

He hopes to study Music at The University of Surrey.  

> To access the link to the online live stream, and help Adam reach his target, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/adam-gozza