Story behind Charity Wargaming Circuit

In the beginning.....

My journey to CWC starts in 2000 where i was 6 years old. I was at school one day & my grandparents came to pick me up. I was told that dad wasn't feeling well and i learned years later that dad's aortic valve had ruptured where it was leaking water into his lungs. Over the years, we had to adapt our life as dad had his good days & bad days however life was good considering. 

Dad got me into warhammer 40k back when 4th edition was around. I still have my Black Templars from way back then too. Each week, we went to the GW Store over in Merry Hill to play. In April 2011, dad has his first heart attack when i was 16 years old. 15 minutes later, the ambulence arrived to provide CPR. Over the years, dad would go onto having 3 more heart attacks in front of both myself & my younger brother. 

Eventually, dad had 2 pacemaker/defibulators fitted over time which worked well for years and it was honestly like dad was back to how he was when i was 6 years old, full of life, full of energy. In 2020, we saw dad's health start to turn south as his body just was deteroriating from all the stress/punishment that it had taken over the decades even before 2000. 

2 weeks before dad passed away, i went for my driving test and i passed. At this point, dad was practically bed bound but he said that if he could, he would be shouting and jumping around for joy. I thought feb 2022 was gonna be it. That year where i was gonna be doing something.

The final week..........

I was at work when i got the call from my mom to go to the QE Hospital. Dad had fallen and hit his head on the door frame. Turns out his head was fine but he had fractured his right hip. By Wednesday, dad had lost the ability to speak. By Friday, we asked if dad could be moved to the St Mary's Hospice in Selly Oak. 

Dad got to the hospice on Sunday where 18 hours later, he passed with mom in his presence. Married for decades & was her rock through everything. I & my brother got the call to see dad before he passed. We got there 2 mins too slow. 

We wanted to give back to those amazing staff who cared for dad over those 18 hours. My family was blown away on how much care, respect & love that each of the team's dedication to not just to us but to everyone there. It made us feel like dad was seen when he spent 22 years continually falling through the cracks within the NHS/Care system. This isn't us blaming the NHS, far from it. We are the first to defend the NHS where possible. It just wasn't able to provide the care & comfort that dad required during that week. I went back to work asap as the job needed me. I was there for my mom & my brother but i wasn't there for me. 

In the months that followed in 2022, we raised £750 for the hospice before it merged in 2023 with the St Johns Ambulence Service to form what is now the Birmingham Hospice. In October 2022, i ended up up having a complete mental health collaspe as i didn't look after myself or allow myself to grevie. I'm not proud to say that i would of easily committed sucide and not given it a second thought. I don't deny this fact nor do i hide from it. 

I got help and i'm good. I'm ok.

It's ok to not be ok. I've included links at the bottom for anyone who feels they need it. Each one is a free service as of May 2026

The Present (2026)

Dad was all about giving & helping others. I guess that it has something to do with growing up in what is now considered a poor/deprived background. During covid times, dad used to buy toothbrushes & toothpaste to donate to the food bins etc so they could be taken to food banks. When the war in Ukraine started, dad again brought toothbrushes & toothpaste so they could be taken over to help the families there. 

Having left hospitality in August 2024, i now have my free time back, weekends, evenings etc and now i can pick back up where i left off but this time, do something that will last. Do something that will help not just the families at the hospice who are going through what we did but the staff too. Each member of staff at the hospice is so valuable and so important, it makes all the difference when you have people who truely care in the world. I have my amazing, supportive partner who believes in CWC, what it stands for and why i must do everything i can to ensure that another family has the same experience of love, care & dedication that i got to witness myself for dad.

The Future....

I don't know what the future will hold for us here at CWC. We all truely believe in what The Birmingham Hospice can do and the way we see it, every day the lights are on, every day that there is a member of staff to help provide the care, respect & dignity that people deserve in their final hours then we here are CWC will try our hardest to ensure that happens. CWC is supported by Yvette Tompkins & Amy McNaughton-Brown from The Birmingham Hospice who are so amazed by the wargaming community. We at CWC are eternally grateful for their support to help make CWC a success

Links to mental health support:

• Birmingham Mind: Provides a range of services including a Mental Health Helpline (0121 262 3555), open 9 am – 11 pm daily for emotional support. They also offer in-person support through community hubs and specialized mental health housing/support.

• Birmingham Healthy Minds (NHS): An NHS service for people aged 16+ with mild to moderate mental health issues (anxiety, depression, stress). They offer free, confidential talking therapies (IAPT).

• Living Well Consortium: A mental health cooperative providing free, evidence-based therapy and counselling for residents in Birmingham and Solihull.

• Shout (85258): A 24/7 free, confidential, anonymous text support service for anyone struggling with anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts.

• The Recovery Foundation: A Birmingham-based charity (Walmley) run by people with lived experience, offering support groups and counselling to help manage mental health crises.

• Compass Birmingham MHST: Offers free, confidential mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children, young people, and families in selected education settings.

• Forward Thinking Birmingham: Provides mental health services for children and young people aged 0-25.

• Bethel-Rapha Listening Service: Provides low-level mental health support, offering a confidential space to talk.

If you need urgent assistance, the following services are available 24/7:

• Mental Health Crisis Service: Call 111 and select the mental health option.

• Birmingham Mind Crisis Line: 0121 262 3555.

• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for free, 24/7.

• Papyrus (Under 35s): 0800 068 4141.