Yes! I can finally share the news. So for the past year I’ve been involved in a community interest company that has been trying to open a board game cafe in my hometown of Southampton. There are only two in England at the moment so it’s very exciting to be the third that opens. We’re a little different to the others as well in that we are active in the community, taking out games to youth groups, schools, and soon the hospital as well. The cafe is going to be a hub for this, offering a place where anyone can come and play games.
It’s been a big year. While Hayley had been working with a school for about six months, the company was formed around April so we’ve seen a lot of progress. There have been a lot of difficulties and we’ve learned a lot over the months, especially through the Kickstarter campaign we did and the media appearances. But we’ve secured funding and a property near the heart of the city, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
We’re expecting to open in the first quarter of next year so there’s a lot to sort out in that time, and the next few months are going to be hectic (especially given that Christmas is going on as well). There’s so many games to play and things to figure out to make sure that the business is a success, but we’ve had some wonderful support already and I can’t wait until we finally open our doors and welcome everyone in to play games. So if you’re ever in Southampton please come down to visit!
