New Venue! New Night!
A little over 2 months ago, we announced that we would no longer be operating from the Mirage suite on St. Andrews Lane, which came as a total shock for us. A lot of planning and development was put on hold and we had to re-think a lot of our operations.
After some quick talks with the staff at No1s, who were very kind to offer their space to us, we moved in as quickly as possible so as not to disrupt the club too much. Sadly however, we were soon to discover a number of issues, through no fault of either party.
Firstly, the space was too small for us to grow. Even with our smaller numbers during the summer, the available space was proving to be an issue and we had to be conservative with our tables.
Secondly, the timing wasn't great. With food being served until seven, it meant we couldn't set up the club until later in the evening. This meant less time for playing and a rush to set up.
Therefore, our Committee set out to find a new home for the club, and after a month of planning and negotiations, I can now announce we have found our new home.
The Friary
Tullideph Road, Dundee
The Friary is the next step in the Club's evolution. With over twice the capacity of Mirage and no real fixed features, the Friary offers us a lot more space.
From here we can run our regular weekly events with ease: We have enough space to divide the club into divisions geared towards different aspects of the hobby and we can run tournaments for 50 players or more, once we get the tables that is.
The Friary also offers free on site parking and on the road parking. There's a bus stop located directly outside and it's only a 15-20 minute walk from town. It's location also means it's closer to Highlander Games which means we could do runs between the club and store should the need arise.
One of the other great aspects for running the Club from the Friary is the additional rooms. Although we'd only be using the Auditorium for our weekly sessions, there is an additional hall and rooms that can be used should we look to run our own gaming event!
Possible Drawbacks...
There are however, some "issues" or "drawbacks" that might affect some:
Wednesday Night!
The number one issue is the change of night. As Thursday nights are already in use, we will be moving the club night to Wednesday from 19:00 onward. This does open the club up for others who have been unable to attend, but it could mean some of you won't make it as much.
No Hot Food...
Secondly, there's no cooking facilities and no hot food. The club will however, be running it's own tuck shop where you will be able to buy drinks and snacks. A questionnaire on what snacks we should sell will be sent out in due course.
The way the club functions will be different. Unlike before where the club only had a bar tab to pay, we will now be paying a hire fee for using the venue. This means funds will be diverted from membership renewals and non-member fees to pay fore the hire. Our survival will rely on funds being made at the tuck shop and players attending. So now, more than ever, our future is in your hands.
But we aren't concerned by this at all. Our team has negotiated a very fair deal and we're more than confident that we will meet the target with ease.
The Future: What's ahead?
More tournaments! - We have the space, so now it's time to use it! Stay tuned for an upcoming AoS Tournament followed closely by a Warhammer 40k one!
Bigger tables and more space! - The majority of our gaming tables will be moving to 6x4s for bigger and smaller games!
A growing and far more accessible community! - Better advertising, bright open space = more players!
The new Scout Squad! - An organised and dedicated area for gamers between the ages of 13 and 17, headed by our newest official: Scout Sergeant Ross Sutherland!
And that's only the beginning!
In closing: We want to thank you for your patience over the last couple of months, and for your continuing support. I have seen this club grow from strength to strength over the last 4 years and I believe that we will continue on for years to come.
Thank you.
Steven Young
Club Chairman
