GCU Esports society raises more than £10,000 for charity
The Esports society has raised more than £10,000 for Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity during Battle for Glasgow event for its Games for the Weans campaign.
The campaign is raising funds to buy adapted gaming equipment, consoles and video games for the boys and girls at the children's hospital in Glasgow.
Fundraising will also support the hospital's Gamer-in-Residence - so that children in hospital always have someone to play with.
Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity: Games for the Weans
Students and volunteers from the Caledonian Chargers hosted yet another successful Battle for Glasgow tournament, marking the event’s fifth year.
Held on the GCU campus from 29 - 31 May, the annual Esports competition brought together teams from Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde for three days of competition to determine Glasgow’s top university Esports team.
Battle for Glasgow had humble beginnings, dating back to 2019 when members of the Caledonian Chargers launched the event in a small basement gaming bar.
Following the pandemic, GCU alumni William Vogt and Diego Hoya and kept the tournament alive and transformed it into the large-scale event it is today.
Since then, Battle for Glasgow has grown into much more than a competition. The event was created to give students and volunteers hands-on experience in areas such as event management, broadcasting, production and content creation, helping participants develop valuable industry skills.
Elise Cunningam, the Esport’s society president, said: “I'm so, so proud of our team. We started planning back in September, with a completely new team and loads of ideas. It was incredibly exciting, but very daunting. BFG 2026 had a lot to live up to, and at first, we were spit balling ideas on how to get it off the ground in the first place.
“We started off with underpinning the core identity of this event: Battle for Glasgow is for students, by students. Everything we were doing was to be homegrown, grassroots, and true to us, using our own skills and connections to truly build from the ground up.
“We put together a fantastic volunteer team and blasted through every hurdle in front of us. It got hectic at times and was something we had to stay consistent and dedicated to - it took a while for me to get used to it being over. I had post-BFG blues. But in the end, it was a total celebration of esports in the collegiate scene. It really was bigger than us all...but we're already working out how to top this in 2027.”
Through Battle for Glasgow, students have created opportunities for learning, collaboration and community engagement, while helping to raise more than £10,000 for charity over the years.
Elise said: “We are over the moon to have raised over £10,000. I'm struggling to find the words for it. We're always buzzing to have Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity with us for any events and they're a fantastic charity so close to our hearts - a few of our members have personally had help from the charity and the work they do is truly incredible.
“Our fundraising is through their Games for the Weans campaign, where children in hospital are supported to play games, have a bit of fun during their stay, and never have to play alone thanks to their gaming volunteers. They've not long opened their recruitment form for gaming volunteers, so if you're interested, check out their website! There's always plans cooking along for further fundraising, so keep an eye on our socials...”
Battle for Glasgow is one of the UK’s biggest student-led events, extremely important for the Caledonian Chargers and the wider student community.
Photography by Isaac Marrs
Elise said: “BFG is a landmark in its own right. The scene is so well connected that it felt like a family reunion; we had fellow esports student friends from all over Europe helping us out, and I'd like to extend a special thanks to USS for hosting our stream and getting BFG out there to thousands of people globally.
“We're in touch with esports committees all over Scotland, finding new ways to get people involved and engaged in not just competing in games, but engaging in such a fresh, exciting scene. Our incredible Chargers bring it every year, and put so much into our community, so it's only right we give them the platform to shine.”
The tournament has run for the past five years and has grown massively since when it first began.
Elise said: “BFG has taken many forms over the years, just like we have. Back in the day, the dearly missed Summoners' Bar hosted us before we moved to our beloved home in Carnegie Lecture Hall. September 2025 saw the planning stage take us to potential venues all over the uni, and we had to get the logistics just right to ensure it remained in-person with a live audience and a livestream.
“The fabulous Isaac Marrs, of GCU Games Development, took over as production lead this year and assembled a stellar production team that really took us to the next level.
“Joshua Conetta, this years' esports Vice President and Software Development student, must've done about a billion steps and said a billion words this year as team’s coordinator.
“We also expanded our schedule to include Deadlock, taking us to a whopping seven games, the most BFG has ever seen. I've taken a focus on ensuring BFG stays sustainable for years to come, including through our handover period taking new committee members through the experience of planning and organising. It's a total passion project, and I can't wait to see how it grows in the future.”
This year’s tournament had a lot of highlights and stand out moments that Elise and her team will remember forever.
She said: “There were definitely a few standout moments this year. On Day 1, our Counter Strike team went triple overtime against the Strathers and the crowd was going crazy. There was really no telling who'd win that, and both teams really brought the fight.
“Speaking of bringing it, special mention needs to go to our incredible Valorant team on Day 2, who absolutely stomped down the competition, totally merciless - the buzz in that audience was palpable. Our casters for all three days were nothing but exceptional, the experienced guys showing the fresh folks the ropes.
“But the best, for me, was the prize ceremony at the end. I remember being onstage, all three unis in front of me, announcing Glasgow Grizzlies' second BFG win in a row. It didn't matter to me who won Battle for Glasgow then. It felt like wrapping up something we put our all into, as a giant, wacky, brilliant family.”
Despite the tournament’s success, there is a lot still to come to make Battle for Glasgow as big and brilliant as possible.
Elise said: “There's heaps and heaps of ideas flying about for how we make BFG bigger and better. We've already broken records, and I'm excited to see what our newer committee members bring to the table. There's some really interesting stuff in the mix - things I couldn't possibly tell you right now.
“But let's just say 2027 is shaping up to be a very, very exciting year indeed.”
This year, the University of Glasgow claimed the title, finishing at the top of the standings with eight points.
While the Caledonian Chargers finished in third place, the society continues to make a lasting impact both on and off the screen.
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By Lucy Rodgers
Got a story you’d like to share with me? Email me at lucy.rodgers@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn.