From Our Games Table to the Community: Supporting The Hinge Centre
Emma LongThe Mighty Lancer Games Community Giving Back to Bridlington: Supporting The Hinge Centre in East Yorkshire
As Mighty Lancer Games celebrates its 10th birthday, we (Mr & Mrs MLG) wanted to take the opportunity to give back to Bridlington, as our home town and our community.
We have always believed that a Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS) should be more than just a place to buy games. From the very beginning we set up Mighty Lancer Games to be part of the local community here in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, a welcoming space where people can play games, make friends, and feel a sense of belonging. Supporting local charities and community organisations has always been part of what we do here at Mighty Lancer Games and we have raised money for various charities over the years such as MNDA, The Lifeboat and MASH, as well as runing events and activities for local childrens groups such as Rainbows and the Scouts, which is why we’re incredibly proud to be supporting The Hinge Centre in Bridlington as our chosen Charity of the Year during our 10th birthday celebrations.
Supporting The Hinge Centre in Bridlington, East Yorkshire
The Hinge Centre is a small, locally focused charity based in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, committed to supporting individuals and families facing social and financial deprivation. They provide services, guidance, and opportunities in a professional, compassionate, and non-judgemental way, helping people across the local area when they need it most.
The impact The Hinge Centre has on the Bridlington community is significant. In 2025 alone, they:
- Provided 728 food parcels to individuals and families in need
- Supported 353 people through adult community groups in Bridlington
- Supported 107 children and delivered 183 children’s activities, creating safe and welcoming spaces where confidence, friendships, and a sense of belonging can grow
- Delivered 76 festive hampers to local families during the holiday season
This is grassroots, community-led support making a real difference right here in East Yorkshire and we hope that in our own small way we can help them to help others. You can find out more about The Hinge Centre and their work in Bridlington at https://thehinge.org.uk/
Charity Gaming Events at Mighty Lancer Games in Bridlington
As part of our 10th birthday year, we wanted our celebrations to include meaningful, practical ways to give back locally and one of the simplest and most effective ways to do that is through the hobby that brings us together in the first place, after all the more hobby we can fit in the better.
In December 2025, we held a Yu-Gi-Oh! Charity Event but instead of paying an entry fee, participants brought non-perishable food items, tins of food, to take part. The event took place on 21st December 2025 (I know that was not officially our 10th birthday year yet but nevermind) with duelists staking one tin of food per round against their opponent. At the end of the tournament, players traded their donated food items for the same number of prize packs from us keeping the focus on fun, fairness, and giving back.
On 18th January 2026, the Pokémon GLC Casual League did the same. The Gym Leader Challenge (GLC) format is a monthly league hosted here at Mighty Lancer Games, designed to offer a friendly, casual gaming environment for Masters Division players that rewards participation and community over competitive play. For this charity edition, players brought non-perishable food and essential items in lieu of an entry fee, including sanitary products, toothbrushes, pasta, rice, and tinned goods.
Thanks to the generosity of everyone who took part in both events, we were able to gather a wonderful and varied selection of donations for The Hinge Centre. Look at Mr MLGs smiley face.
Donating to The Hinge Centre
Then on 20th January we went to The Hinge Centre with the donations knowing that every single one of these items was brought in by players who chose generosity, showing up not just to play, but to make a difference that truly helps others and that is awesome.
To everyone who donated, played, and supported these events: thank you. We are sure your kindness has made a real impact for people in Bridlington who need it.
Ongoing Fundraising
Our support for The Hinge Centre doesn’t stop with these events. Throughout our 10th birthday year, we’ll be continuing to raise funds and awareness in-store and online as much as we can.
We currently have a Hobby Lucky Dip running on the shop floor, filled with hobby and game-related items generously donated by manufacturers and businesses. It’s £3 per go, and we will donate every penny to The Hinge Centre. The lucky dip box will remain available until all items are won because then it just becomes a cardboard box filled with packing material and no joy.
We also have a collection tin on the counter for anyone who would like to donate spare change while visiting.
For those who would prefer to donate online, we’ve set up a GoFundMe and if you would like to donate the link is here, this goes directly to The Hinge Centre without us physically taking it to them https://gofund.me/7e28c26a9
Celebrating 10 Years of Mighty Lancer Games in 2026
But what now? We officially turned 10 years old on 7th January 2026 (yes we sarted a hobby and gaming business in winter just after Christmas when people famously have lots of money because we are daft like that) and we’ll be celebrating throughout the year with events, activities, and fundraising both in-store and online.
As 2026 continues, we’ll be sharing more opportunities to get involved and give back locally. You can keep up to date with everything happening as part of our 10-year celebrations both charity driven and not on our dedicated webpage: MLG X
We Are Overwhelmed
While taking part in the charity GLC event we were given a truely awesome Birthday gift (have we mentioned it is our 10th birthday yet?) from Bertie. A Mighty Lancer Games Pokemon card perfectly created for us with amazing detail and thought. Thank you so much it will be hung up pride of place on the gaming floor for all to see...now where did I put those nails again?
Thank you for being part of the Mighty Lancer Games community. Whether you’re local to Bridlington, elsewhere in Yorkshire, or even further afield, your support for our small family owned hobby shop over the past 10 years has helped make Mr MLGs dream come true, given us opportunities to raise money for good causes and brought some awesome tabletop moments to the gaming floor. We’re excited to see what the next chapter brings and hope you will be part of that journey.
Find us in all these places