Local community launches crowdfunder to create inclusive gaming and wellbeing hub in Shrewsbury

The Spectrum Space CIC, founded by Shrewsbury resident Dan Hughes, aims to establish an alcohol-free venue designed from the ground up to be welcoming and accessible particularly for people who struggle in traditional social settings.

At this stage the campaign relies on community backing to get it started, and the family are urging residents and local businesses to support it by donating to the fundraiser.

Unlike a commercial venture, Spectrum is being set up as a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), meaning it exists solely for community benefit. Any surplus generated will be reinvested directly back into the space.

“This isn’t about starting a business for profit,” Dan says. “It’s about building something local people genuinely need. It’s being created by local people, for local people.”

The idea grew from Dan’s own experience. As someone who is neurodivergent and part of a neurodivergent family, he says social spaces have not always felt easy to access.

“For most of my adult life, I struggled to get involved in local groups or social activities,” he says. “Even when I wanted to, walking into a new place on my own felt overwhelming.”

It took him more than a year after first hearing about Nerdy, the former board game café in Shrewsbury town centre, to build up the courage to visit.

“When I finally went, it genuinely changed my life. I found my tribe, people who shared my passion for tabletop gaming and all things nerd culture. It was somewhere I could unmask and just be myself.”

When Nerdy later closed, members of the community worked hard to keep meeting. Some gathered in each other’s homes, while others used local pubs and cafés.

“People really did rally,” Dan says. “Some groups still meet, and that’s brilliant. But those environments don’t work for everyone and they bring their own challenges.” Over time, he says, attendance declined.

Before launching the project, Dan gathered feedback from the local community. In just a few days, more than 100 people responded, including former regular attendees, parents, carers and neurodivergent adults.

More than half of former attendees who responded said they no longer take part in organised gaming at all, not because they lost interest, but because they lost an environment that worked for them.

One respondent said: “Nerdy was the one place I felt comfortable turning up on my own. Losing that space had a bigger impact on my mental health than I expected.”

Since launching the crowdfunder, Dan says he has been encouraged not only by early financial backing, but by the number of groups expressing interest in using the space.

“We’ve heard from chess groups, alcohol-free community groups and tabletop organisers who are excited about what this could become,” he says. “The need is clearly there.”

The team is currently exploring premises within Shrewsbury. Funds raised will go towards securing a venue and covering initial setup costs to ensure the space opens safely and accessibly.

Spectrum is planned as an alcohol-free venue where people can drop in without paying simply to enter. Structured tournaments and events will help sustain the space, alongside retail products and optional membership for those who wish to support it further.

“If this is going to be a genuine third place, somewhere you can exist without pressure to spend, that has to be central to how it works,” Dan says.

The space is also intended to work alongside local mental health and support organisations, offering a familiar, low-pressure environment for community sessions and meetings.

For Dan, the motivation remains simple.

“This is about connection. It’s about making sure people in our town, especially those who find typical social spaces difficult, have somewhere they can feel comfortable and safe to be themselves.”

Residents and businesses who would like to support the project can find more information or donate at: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/inclusive-community-gaming-space-in-shrewsbury

For further information, partnership enquiries or to get involved, visit thespectrumspacecic.co.uk, email info@thespectrumspacecic.co.uk or follow The Spectrum Space CIC on Facebook and Instagram.