Happy Birthday Hereford Board Gamers!! – Herefordshire Board Gamers

It’s nearly our first official birthday as Herefordshire Board Gamers. We’ve existed for two years on Facebook and we have run three, annual charity days.

It’s been an amazing year. We’ve met over 16 times officially with several ad hoc sessions (here is a list of what we played on each session) and we’ve also had the largest and most profitable charity day yet. 48 players playing over 28 games.

I’m extremely proud of what we’ve created. We have well over 110 members, an active and supportive Facebook group, new friendships have been made, and are we are well on the way to having a full and active gaming community in Herefordshire. I am amazed and thankful for the support and enthusiasm from our members, without whom the group would be nothing.

As always I welcome your feedback and want this group to be a community, to support gamers and gaming the clubs in the area.

We also have 4 flags, a shield and a lizard!

What is next? Keeping doing what we do well. Play games and have fun

Continue to run monthly game days on Thursdays and Sundays.
Run 3 weekend long gaming sessions (10am to late). Relaxed gaming with no fuss. (Small suggested donation to charity to enter)
1 charity day to raise money and awareness for our chosen charity. This also serves as a recruitment drive for us as well. I will need all your help on this
Continue £1 per night donation to play. We have minimal costs and have been breaking even but a small reserve is handy to pay for snacks, help support the costs or cover any incidents. This is the same basic format as last year, tweaking and improving things as needed. Costs for the charity day (printing etc) the flags and lizard were member donations.

What’s next? Grow the community and give back

With the groups’ blessing and support I would like to give something back to the wider community, by taking and teaching games into communities where they might help. Also there is the possibility to look for sponsorship for the club, if only to assist us with gathering prizes for our charity day and fundraising.

These two items I definitely need to hear the clubs views on. I’ve formed them into complete questions below with some supporting information.

1) Step up our community activities. Just a few days a year perhaps teaching or taking games into other community groups? (This is in addition to our fund raising charity day and totally voluntary and opt in.)

2) Do we form legally as a club? This would allow us to attract grants to help with point 1. (There would be slightly more work for the committee no other effort needed for other members)

3) Do we try and attract sponsorship? This would help us raise prizes and therefore funds for our charity day and cover some basic costs, web hosting, posters. (In reality we have our regular supporters who have donated to several charity days it could just be formalising this relationship.)

4) Do we continue to charge a suggested £1 fee for games nights? There is no room fee at either venue and we only currently charge on Thursday nights. (This money would be used to cover other incidental costs, or for reinvestment into club things.)

What can the group do to help me?

Please join the newsletter. I want another method to communicate dates rather than solely relying on Facebook.

Continue to give me feedback, suggestions, volunteer to help, write blogs or even suggest and lead projects.

Hopefully we’ll see you all at our birthday party on 6^th July
https://www.facebook.com/events/443495249376261