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The gaming hub offering a welcoming space for all

Winnie Ngui/BBC Evie and Giselle sit at a table facing and smiling at the camera. They sit opposite each other ready to play a board game. Evie has blue and green hair while Giselle has pink hair. A board game with cards and dice sits in between them on the table.Winnie Ngui/BBC
The Fort offers people the chance to enjoy traditional board and card games as well as console or PC gaming

A gaming centre supported by Children in Need has been described as a "comfortable and welcoming space" by its users.

The Fort, a social and creative space, opened in Suffolk in 2019 and is run by Lowestoft and District Mencap.

The charity supports people with learning disabilities and its gaming centre offers them the chance to play on consoles and enjoy traditional board and card games.

One regular visitor, who wished to be known only as Lawrence, explained it was an incredibly welcoming place.

"I have struggled from time to time to find like-minded people or ways of fitting in," he said.

"It's nice, there's no pressure [at The Fort]. I don't have to change my personality or change who I am to fit in, I can just be Lawrence.

"Others that come and join me for these sorts of things feel the same.

"The Fort is very good at promoting inclusion. They allow for a diverse range of activities and generally take people at face value which is fantastic."

Lawrence added The Fort team offered "a great amount of empathy" and made everyone feel comfortable.

Winnie Ngai/BBC Evie is pictured looking away from the camera while she sits. She has blue and green hair which is cut to her shoulders. She has several piercings on her face as well as ear piercings. She is wearing a black top which is sheer on her shoulders.Winnie Ngai/BBC
Evie enjoyed playing traditional board and card games at The Fort which had helped her make new friends

Another visitor, Evie, 17, said the hub helped her make new friends which she could then meet outside of the venue.

She enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons as well as Magic: The Gathering game.

"People are nice here, everyone is different and I like playing Magic," she said.

"I like the game and I play it with other people.

"[The staff] are nice and I've met a friend here.

"We play Magic and went to a gothic fair the other week."

Winnie Ngai/BBC Ryan White is pictured looking at the camera. He has a brown beard and mustache. He is wearing a black baseball cap back to front and a black hoodie with bright yellow zip, lining and graphics.Winnie Ngai/BBC
Staff member Ryan White said The Fort helped build people's confidence

Ryan White is one of the staff members at The Fort and he also helps with the hub's graphics.

He created The Fort's logo and also regularly streams his online gaming to viewers on the platform Twitch.

He said The Fort helped build people's confidence.

"Sometimes people are too shy to walk in the building," he explained.

"They think it's a bit crowded, a bit busy, they might not like it, but once they come in they feel at ease.

"Looking around it's not in your face, it's a calm building where people can come in, chill, relax, talk with other members of the community."

Winnie Ngai/BBC Giselle Czajka stands outside The Fort building. She has pink dyed hair with dark roots. She is wearing clear framed glasses with a predominantly red scarf tied around her neck. She is wearing a black hoodie with yellow strings and a yellow hood and a Staff ID badge under her scarf. Winnie Ngai/BBC
Giselle Czajka said The Fort was great at supporting people in an environment where they would have fun

Giselle Czajka is the treasurer for The Fort and she also streams on its Twitch account.

She explained Children in Need had been a big support.

"Children in Need have been an amazing help to us with their grants," she said.

"Especially with running a gaming place, there are a lot of bills, a lot of electricity to pay and with the current climate of things everyone is struggling a lot.

"So having that help from Children in Need makes a massive difference for us to help make sure that we can providing things for the community, young people and people with learning disabilities hopefully for a long time."

The wider charity is currently fundraising to secure the future use of its site.

It has until October 2025 to raise £200,000 before the buildings it makes use of, including The Fort, are put up for sale.

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