Save Bay Games: Help Us Find a New Home for Our Community
We Need Your Help Right Now
Bay Games, Whitley Bay's beloved board games café, is being forced to close our doors through no fault of our own. Our landlords are converting the building into apartments and have demanded we pay part of their roof replacement costs. With our tenancy ending soon, we have weeks to find a new home or lose everything we've built.
We've found a new space. Now we need a little support to move there and make it home.
What Makes Bay Games Special?
For years, Bay Games has been more than a café. We're a lifeline for people who struggle to find their place in the world.
One parent recently shared: "Bay Games provided a place for my son, who struggles to make friends due to his autism, not only to enjoy himself but to truly belong. Here, he's made friends and is invited to join in. Keiren and his team work hard to make everyone feel welcome."
A father and his teenage daughter wandered in on a rainy Saturday looking for something to do. They stayed for hours, laughing over a board game. Now they're here every week, reconnecting after years of growing apart.
Another regular told us: "This place is the highlight of my week. I never thought I'd find somewhere I truly belong."
These aren't just customers. They're family. And they're counting on us.
Where Your Money Goes: Every Single Pound Explained
We need £10,000 to make this move possible. Here's where your donation goes:
- Moving and Refurbishment Professional movers, building modifications, decorating to create a welcoming space
- Furniture and Fittings Tables, chairs, shelving for our 500+ game library and all the extra space we will have for you all
- Kitchen Equipment Commercial equipment to keep serving our pizzas and paninis and increase our offerings.
- Contingency Fund Unexpected costs that always come with moving premises
What Happens If We Don't Raise This?
Without your help, Bay Games risks closing forever. Children who struggle to make friends lose the only place they feel they belong. Families lose their weekly traditions. People lose their community hub. Whitley Bay loses a space that brings people together every single day.
We're not ready to let that happen. Are you?
The Bigger Picture
Bay Games runs events six days a week: Magic the Gathering tournaments, Warhammer painting workshops, family game nights, Pokemon leagues, Blood on the Clocktower evenings, and Gundam weekly play. We host birthday parties for children who struggle to make friends elsewhere. We give people a warm, welcoming space when they have nowhere else to go.
A Message from Keiren
I'm Keiren, owner of Bay Games. When I started this café, I wanted to create the place I wished had existed when I was younger: somewhere safe, welcoming, and full of joy.
Watching this community grow has been the greatest privilege of my life. I've seen friendships form between complete strangers. I've watched shy people find their confidence. I've celebrated with families as they reconnect over games.
Losing Bay Games would break my heart. But more than that, it would hurt the people who need this space most.
Please help us save Bay Games. Every single pound brings us closer to our new home.
Can't Donate? Here's How Else You Can Help
- Share this page with everyone you know
- Tell local media about our story
- Visit us at 214 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay before we move
- Leave a comment below about what Bay Games means to you
What Happens Next?
We'll update this page regularly with our progress. You'll see exactly how your money is being spent. And when we open our doors in the new space, every single person who donated will be invited to our grand reopening party.
Bay Games isn't just my dream. It's our community's heart. Let's save it together.
With hope and gratitude,
Keiren & the Bay Games Community