Save The Role Play Haven

The Role Play Haven is a nonprofit organisation that many of you will have heard of. We run tabletop and roleplay gaming clubs across the country whose members raise money for charities. Now, we need your help. Like most nonprofits, we've been greatly affected by Covid-19 as our clubs haven't been able to operate during lockdown. Our mission of bringing safe and amazing roleplaying games across the UK is at risk, even more so with an approaching second wave. 

HOW COVID-19 HAS AFFECTED US 
From the inception of The Role Play Haven our clubs have never missed a game night or failed to raise money for charity. Sadly after ten years, Covid-19 has forced us to close our doors for the very first time. It was with tears and heavy hearts we cancelled our game nights, knowing this was the right decision to keep our members safe.

To ensure the smooth running of each of The Role Play Haven clubs we’ve always kept a reserve to cover venue rentals and general club costs. However little did we know (like the rest of the world) we wouldn’t be able to open our doors again for the rest of 2020. With our doors closed and members safe at home, this has sadly drained our carefully built reserve and stopped our ability to support local charities (for more information click here , to see the email to our members).


OUR CHARITY WORK
The Role Play Haven is a community organisation, set up for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together, play games, and raise money for charity. In the last ten years, we are proud to have raised just over £17,000 for mental health services, children's hospitals, and homeless shelters. However, our work cannot continue without your support, our clubs rely on being out in the community, and gaming in physical spaces. Due to the effect of Covid-19 restrictions on public places, we have no choice but to set up a Go Fund Me so we can survive any future lockdowns.

It was never just about playing games, it was the ability to raise money while you play and build communities. To know every time you “roll” dice, fight dragons and save the town, your local club was raising money for their local chosen charity. Our communities are built on the principle of helping others and that means building communities that are safe and welcoming places, that allow people to explore the magic that is role playing games.

This year was our first year we sadly could not use our extra money as donations to our selected charities. Instead, it has been used to help maintain The Role Play Haven. We recognised the importance of staying connected during these difficult times and using the power of role playing to support social and emotional wellbeing. Therefore we used available funds to upgrade our Discord server, allowing the community to continue to game and stay together.


THE PLAN
Your donations will help us re-launch the clubs in January 2021. These funds will aid us to provide a safer gaming environment for both members and volunteers and to adapt our current website, in order to better support the community during the pandemic. Any surplus donations will go into future projects like charity gaming events, and to continue building new gaming communities 

The funds raised here will help each of the clubs relaunch safely and securely as soon as it's safe to do so (we are hoping January 2021). This means putting measures in place to increase the safety of attendees, including ensuring safe options for payments, as well as finding alternative venues for clubs whose premises have closed down.


Covid-19 Free Zone
Our plan is to use a portion of donations to provide face masks, cleaning materials, hand sanitiser and  exploring innovative ways of making role playing in person as ‘Covid safe as possible (such as screen protectors at tables for all members and volunteers )

Safe Payment
We will be introducing "an online booking system" to help reduce contact and queues at the door. This will require an important update for our website as many of our plugins have also stopped working during the current pandemic, as the contributing independent programmes have also suffered. Now new systems need to be added, and the website made more user friendly for all our members. 

Securing Venues
We will use funds to secure venues for our clubs and use funds to relocate clubs whose premises have closed so that communities can continue their in-person gaming.


Every donation matters, no matter how big or small. It helps us continue our passion to build communities, role play, and raise money for charity! 

Please help us to keep supporting charities close to our hearts, and join us in growing the community during this difficult time. We hope to see you at a club soon!

Thank you and Stay Safe. 


#SaveRPH