Oakham Board Game and Roleplaying Club raises £1,200 for Pepper’s – A Safe Place

People enjoyed games galore at the weekend, while helping to raise an incredible £1,200.

The event at Pepper’s in High Street, Oakham, marked the anniversary of Oakham Board Game and Roleplaying Club with an invitation for people to come along and take part in different activities.

There was also a 24-hour ‘Gamethon’ staged by club members.

Thanks to their efforts and donations a total of £1,201.97 was raised for Pepper’s – A Safe Place, the charity which supports better mental wellbeing in the community.

Andy James, who helped to organise the event, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of what our club and the members have achieved, not only at the weekend with the fundraising efforts, but as a whole across the past year.

“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing an idea grow into a success, resulting in a safe community space for like-minded gamers to meet up, relax and ultimately have fun.

“There have been so many positive stories shared by our members over the past year, regarding the overcoming of their personal challenges and boundaries by way of attending the weekly club meets, and this alone makes it all worth while.

“Never did we dream of raising £1,200, especially given our relatively small size.

“We’re all truly lost for words and it’s testament to the tenacity and awesomeness of our members, but we also couldn’t have done it without the fantastic support of local businesses and the town as a whole.

“Pepper’s is a fantastic local charity and worthy recipient of our fundraising efforts – I’d like to think it will help make a real identifiable difference and impact on the local community, plus it might help sweeten the fact we’re slowly overtaking their storage room with board games!”

He added that it was “an absolute honour” to be associated with Oakham Board Game and Role-Playing Club, and “every one of our members deserves to take a bow”.