An intergenerational games club has been given a grant of £500 to help tackle isolation and support neurodivergent young people.

Friday Night Games at St Mark’s Church, Upper Hale, received the money from the Bishop of Guildford’s Communities Fund (BGCF) which supports marginalised groups across Guildford Diocese. The money will be spent on providing meals, furnishings and art and craft materials.

The club is free to access and meets on the second and fourth Friday evening of each month and offers a mix of table tennis, table football, board games, jigsaws, art and craft and, in the summer months, gardening. There is also a meal provided part way through the evening.

It was set up to provide a friendly drop-in space for anyone who fancied coming and in particular has attracted both people who live alone and young people with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD and autism.

Jacqui Searle, one of the leaders of the club, said: “We have all sorts of ages coming to the club, from school age to people in their 80s. A group of such a diverse age range is so rare and it creates a family atmosphere. That is one of the reasons we provide a meal so that we can sit together and have not just nourishment but conversation, like in a family. 

“We try to provide a relaxed, inclusive place where people feel they can be themselves without having to pretend to be something they are not in order to fit in with other people.”

The club meets on the second and fourth Friday of each month at 7pm to 9pm at St Mark’s Church, Alma Lane, GU9 0LT. It is free to enter and all ages are welcome, though primary age children must be accompanied by an adult. To find out more visit badshotleaandhale.org or call 07842761919.