Hi, I'm Cam, the founder of the Community Group, West Coast Crucible.

About us, our aims and our plans

The West Coast Crucible gaming group was set up in August 2024, initially, with the premise of a couple of friends who had not been in touch for years, returning to a hobby they hadn't been part of in decades, getting together to play after struggling to socialise again in the wake of the Covid Pandemic. We were all tabgletop wargame players, particularly Warhammer 40k, but had interests in looking at other systems.

A flyer was put out to gauge if anyone else would be interested in joining us, and suddenly we had 9 people who had never played before. At the next session, the number doubled. Most of these people did not have any of the equipment, games or resources to participate properly. We had to rethink what to do.

The decision was made to make it an actual Non-Profit Community Group, created a Constitution, and acquired grants to be able to provide the resources necessary for those not normally in a position to participate to be able to take part regardless. Poverty of one form or another is commonplace in this area, and we felt it shouldn't be a barrier to be able to enjoy a game. Complimentary snacks and drinks are offered to our members too, to help along the same lines.

Mental Health is very important to the group, considering it was originally set up to help resocialise through games. Many of it's members have mental health issues in one form or another, and we strive to make the group an inclusive and safe place for people to socialise in a hobby setting everyone shares a passion for, regardless of their background.

As the Group has grown so much, we have now registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), and are taking on Premises in Saltcoats Town Centre. This gives us dedicated space to run even more game systems for all age groups (from 12 up). The premises has an onsite Cafe that would run in conjunction with the groups, 4-5 days a week, providing an affordable, and in some cases subsidised, selection to its patrons. Various funding options are currently being explored to allow the Crucible to be a usable community space to bring all areas of the community together.

Why we need your help

We need some of the basics to get up and running. Currently running in a community centre, the tables and chairs are all provided. We need a selection to be able to set up with. Some need to be Accessible. We also need to get some of the equipment for setting up the Cafe kitchen, as the kitchen itself is not furbished. There are, other costs that funding doesn't cover, like licenses and certificates too.

We were hoping to have all these things in place before our planned opening in April/May. We need YOUR help to get past the finish line.

This Non-Profit Community Hub will benefit the whole of the Three Towns community.

Visit our website for more detailed information on our plans for the near future.

www.westcoastcrucible.co.uk