Board gaming and mental health charity came together in Hereford last weekend as Here For Games Con ran its annual free convention from 10 to 12 April at The Core CIC.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeThe three-day event, organised entirely by volunteers at Herefordshire Board Gamers, offered open gaming, RPGs, giant games, demos, a bring-and-buy sale, and 20 raffle draws across the weekend. Doors opened on Friday afternoon and ran through to Sunday evening, with a huge games library available for anyone to pick up and play. Entry was completely free, with every penny raised going directly to Herefordshire Mind, the local branch of the national mental health charity.
Last year's event raised over £3,600 for Mind, and the group has now contributed nearly £31,000 to charity and community causes over eight years of running events. Their regular programme includes monthly game nights, family sessions, and dedicated support for neurodivergent gamers, all built on the principle that social gaming helps tackle loneliness and isolation.
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeHerefordshire Board Gamers started small and grew into a nationally recognised model for community-led gaming. If their story has you thinking about running a charity game night for your own group, it really can start with a single evening at a local venue. Plenty of communities already are.
Sources: Herefordshire Board Gamers | Here For Games Con | Here For Games Con 2025 Results
