With the news that a gaming cafe named Board in the City was opening on its doorstep Cult Faction set out to find out just what it was all about. Rob from Board in the City CIC was happy to explain:
“First of all it’s important to note that there are two branches to what we do. For just over a year now our managing director Hayley and other volunteers have been taking board games into schools, youth groups, and the teenage cancer wing at the hospital in order to engage kids who otherwise may be bored or disillusioned. So far we’ve seen nothing but positive responses. The kids are enthusiastic about the games and we’ve seen first hand how board games can be used to develop social skills, hone strategic thinking, and ignite a creative spark.
As well as this we became aware of many gaming groups in Southampton, and from this we saw a need in Southampton for a dedicated board game cafe. Our hope is that it will act as a hub for experienced and new gamers alike to share the love of the hobby, providing a library of games for people to come in and enjoy playing, in addition to our volunteers taking them out into the community. We are a community interest company, which means that the majority of profit we make will go back into the community, and our main aim is basically just to spread the love of the hobby and bring people together through a mutual love of playing games.
We are well aware though that simply having board games isn’t going to enough to attract people, so we’ve hired two inventive young chefs that have designed a menu catering to all allergens and dietary requirements. I’ve sampled their cooking and believe me, part of me is more excited for the food than the board games!
We’re having a launch party event on Friday the 4th March from 7:30 to 9:30 in the evening, where guests will be able to taste samples from our menu and get a sneak a peek at the venue before it opens the next day.
Another of our directors has also designed a murder mystery game for the evening that people are free to participate in as well, or they can just take the time to peruse our collection of games and get to know us! “
The link to buy tickets is https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boardinthecitycic They’re £7.50, which also includes a complementary drink. The grand opening of the cafe is on the following day, Saturday 5th March!
When asked about what other events Board in the City had been involved in prior to the launch Rob replied:
“A recent event was one our giant games, Takenoko. So far we have done giant versions of that and Catan, which are free for anyone to come and play and are usually hosted at the Art Gallery in Southampton, although we did appear at Stabcon South last year as well. These are always fun to host and are guaranteed to get people interested.”
So where can we find the place Rob?
“The property is located at 38-40 Onslow Road, SO14 0JG, which is in Bevois Valley and close to the heart of town. We’re going to have a colour-coded labelling system and games masters on hand to help people discover new games, as we want to make it as easy as possible for people to find a game that suits them, especially if they’re new to the hobby.”
So for all your board gaming needs you know where to go now!
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