Doing our bit for the Community Part Two

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two
with Chris Potter, Battlefront UK Office

This is an update to an article we ran at the end of January, which you can see here.

After much working out of Army Lists and feverish painting of armies, the students at Pivot Academy hit a snag. The care package I organised back in January had achieved its aim of bringing together learning and gaming in one harmonious endeavour however, there were simply not enough models and armies to go around all the students. 

As word spread of secret lunchtime gatherings in a classroom to play games, more students had flocked to the tables and were trying to get in on games. As Paul, the Lead Social Worker for the students at Pivot Academy told me, the tanks I had sent and his own armies only went so far.

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two

Out of his own pocket, Paul ordered some infantry, and this rankled me slightly. Was there anything that I could do to help the students further in their learning objectives combining wargaming with History and social skills?

A quick check with the boss and a swift thumbs up email from New Zealand and we were set to go. Under the guise of a second order from Paul’s credit card, I put together enough boxsets, blisters, tape measures and V4 Mid War books, and a couple of Army Deals, to support the students in the continuation of their hobby and studies. I even found some paint sets that were quickly donated to the academy.

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two

Doing our bit for the Community: Part Two

Not one to blow our own trumpet, the enthusiasm from the students is second to none. The pictures that Paul has been sending through have overwhelmingly proven that the students are jumping into Flames of War feet first and really embracing everything that our hobby has to offer. They are writing army lists and tweaking points to make them game-winning, working out tactics, comparing historic formations to their armies and most importantly enjoying themselves!

Next step for Paul is to run a second day for the students in the week to accommodate so many players.

The UK office are working out some dates to visit Cleckheaton and run a mini-boot camp with the Students, which will focus on playing games and learning more about History, from the invention of the Tank, to World War II behemoths like the Tiger and KV-1s.
~Chris