Warhammer is for everyone, and the Warhammer Alliance programme has opened the hobby up to a host of young people around the world.
Earlier in the year we looked at how games are benefiting kids in schools, but those aren’t the only places where young people are getting involved. Many others are meeting at libraries and youth clubs, and using the Warhammer hobby to learn valuable life skills and build lasting friendships.
Many participants get in touch with us to share their experiences, but David’s story particularly piqued our interest. A local ICT worker for Dundee Libraries, he started a local library club with some help from Warhammer Alliance and the Dundee Warhammer store, a project which has now expanded into a network of 10 clubs with more than 300 participants.
David got into Warhammer many years ago, back when it was a very different game. “We used targeting grids to shoot at vehicles,” he jokes.
“I started with an Emperor’s Children force more than 30 years ago and have recently returned to the Horus Heresy with the Emperor’s Children, I’ve also kept up to date with Adeptus Titanicus.”
About seven years ago, David was asked to start a club at one of his local libraries.
But he saw the return to normality following the pandemic as an opportunity to grow the network of clubs even further.
“We are now at 10 clubs running throughout Dundee, with an average of 100 to 120 young people attending weekly in various libraries,” he explains “Our biggest club is at Fintry Library, which usually attracts 35 to 40 kids.
Each club has a membership that reflects its area and with 10 clubs it can be quite varied, with attendees ranging from eight to 16. One club has a Warhammer 40,000 veterans’ table for those over 11 and under 14.
“We have a couple of clubs that are 90 per cent female and love Necromunda. We also have clubs that are a 50/50 mix of boys and girls.”
The highlight of the experience is, unsurprisingly, the people. “You can never tell what’s going to happen next with kids. I usually get beaten in six to seven games each week – they seem to love taking my models down too if I’m playing in a scenario or game.
“Our club’s motto was made up by one of the kids. She left the club and said ‘We are awesome!’ so it stuck,” he laughs. “I have also had children tell me that playing Warhammer with someone in a library was the best day of their life.”
If you want to get involved or start your very own club, it’s as easy as talking to your local store manager to get more details.
“The Warhammer Alliance team have been fantastic in helping the Dundee clubs grow,” David says. “It's great fun, but it’s also a lot of work.”
Get in contact to share your own stories, or let us know about your experience with Warhammer Alliance clubs over on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.