Indigenous rights charity awarded fully produced, live streamed fundraising event, securing first place in Groovy Gecko’s first ever Champion Your Charity competition.
Award-winning live streaming expert, Groovy Gecko, has chosen Survival International as the first-place winner of its Champion Your Charity competition – which offered not-for-profit organisations the chance to win a webcasting and production package worth up to £7,500 to bring their fundraising event ideas to life. Survival International applied to the contest with the ambition of running a far-reaching, live streamed event to help raise awareness of their work with Indigenous people around the world.
The winning charity was picked by independent judge Rob Davanell, Client Support Lead at Fat Beehive, along with Groovy Gecko’s CEO, Craig Moehl, Project Manager Team Leader, Isabelle Brown-Bayliss and Marketing Manager, Starlin Marot, after careful consideration.
Groovy Gecko has committed to producing a lively and compelling virtual event for the Champion Your Charity winner in January, featuring Indigenous people and activists as guests. Addressing the impact of major conservation conventions and policies in 2023 on tribes such as the Maasai and Jenu Kuruba, the event will be streamed across the charity’s and influencer’s social media platforms to a live global audience of long-time donors and new supporters. Viewers will have a chance to hear about the ongoing struggles faced by these communities globally and how they can take action in support of tribal people.
Craig Moehl, CEO of Groovy Gecko said, “When judging, we were particularly compelled by Survival International’s entry and the role they play in supporting Indigenous people, who protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity in their territories and face appalling challenges such as land theft, discrimination and genocidal violence.
“The range and calibre of charities that entered the competition was amazing, and we are so thrilled that there was a clear understanding of how live streamed events are key to achieving fundraising goals. We were impressed by Survival International’s plan to host a live streamed event to bring Indigenous people and campaigners from around the world together to share their stories – and we are honoured to be able to support their mission. The fully digital event will run on social media to reach the biggest audience possible and raise awareness for the charity’s Decolonize Conservation campaign.
“Groovy Gecko has been supporting dozens of charities and NGOs over the last 20 years, including a village of 350 Maasai men, women and children near Mara Rrianta in the Narok county, Kenya. We’re keen to support as many charities as we can with their live streamed fundraising events, so are hoping to make this an annual competition. We believe that introducing charities to live streaming will enrich their fundraising processes, widen their audiences and result in more brand awareness and, of course, donations.”
Fiore Longo, head of the Decolonize Conservation campaign at Survival International said, “A big thank you to Groovy Gecko for giving us the opportunity to livestream this important event – we’re delighted to have been chosen! Conservation, as it’s practised today, is destroying Indigenous peoples who are the best guardians of our natural world. If we want to save biodiversity we must respect Indigenous land rights, and fight against the dominant model of conservation which is neo-colonial and racist – for the wellbeing of tribes, nature and all humanity. We can’t wait to welcome Indigenous and non-Indigenous speakers to our #DecolonizeConservation webinar in January 2023.”
The event will be livestreamed on Survival International’s social media accounts in January 2023, with more details to be released closer to the event. To support the charity in advance of the event, donations can be made via the Survival International website.
(Champion Your Charity judges: Rob Davanell, Starlin Marot and Craig Moehl)
With so many stellar entries to choose from, Groovy Gecko decided to select charities Blue Cross and Trauma Treatment International as runners up in the competition. Moved by the charity’s dedication to animal welfare, the judging panel decided to award Blue Cross with a special event on Friday 25 October as part of their “Hallow-stream” gaming fundraiser campaign. A special host will take the online audience on a tour of the Blue Cross centre, interviewing volunteers (and animals) along the way, with the aim of raising funds and finding new homes for the animals. Groovy Gecko will provide full production with the help of their partner, Zest4TV, and live stream the tour to multiple Twitch channels simultaneously as well as to the charity’s other social media channels including Facebook, with the aim of both raising funds and finding new homes for the animals.
Trauma Treatment International, a charity which supports survivors of traumatic events such as torture, trafficking, slavery and war, will also be awarded with a fully remote conference in January 2024, discussing new research and findings in the field with experts, people from the charity, as well as organisations and experts working in the industry.
Charities that impressed the judges in the competition included those supporting a wide array of causes such as inspiring future doctors, aiding new immigrants, tackling homelessness and providing access to green spaces for inner-city youth. Groovy Gecko’s goal to run the competition annually will allow them to continually share expertise with their chosen charities, and provide the training and tools that will equip them for successful fundraising events in the future. In addition, Groovy Gecko will be running a Q&A webinar on 20 October at 3pm for charities that want to learn more about live streaming on a budget in order to increase donations, raise awareness and build an engaged audience. Register to attend the live stream on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Follow @GroovyGecko and @SurvivalInternational on Instagram, and @groovygecko and @Survival on Twitter to keep up to date with all the event details.
-Ends
Notes to Editors:
Jake Ward, Business Development Director at Groovy Gecko, is available for comment or interviews upon request.
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About Groovy Gecko
Founded in 1999, Groovy Gecko is an award-winning Live Streaming agency.
With over 20 years of expertise in live streaming technology and production, working on projects ranging from international film premieres to interactive company presentations and global gaming conferences, Groovy Gecko is continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in live streaming. Founded on innovation, Groovy Gecko not only helps clients engage with audiences in exciting ways but adds value to live streams with their risk management approach and smooth delivery.
The agency has worked with some of the world’s biggest names in technology, entertainment and gaming, including Youtube, Samsung, Amazon Prime, Cadbury, Universal Music, Pretty Little Thing, and Cancer Research UK. As demand for wider-scope projects in the US and beyond has grown, the London-based company recently opened an international office in San Francisco, California.
For more information on Groovy Gecko, visit https://www.groovygecko.com/
Twitter: groovygecko | Instagram: groovy.gecko
About Survival International
We are Survival International, the global movement for tribal peoples. We’re fighting for their survival around the world. From the Amazon to the Kalahari, from the jungles of India to the Congo rainforest, we work in partnership with tribal and Indigenous peoples to protect their lives and land. They suffer racism, land theft, forced development and genocidal violence just because they live differently. It must stop. Let’s fight for their survival, together. For tribes, for nature, for all humanity.
For more information on Survival International, visit, https://www.survivalinternational.org/
Twitter: Survival | Instagram: Survival International
