Access Models, on Castlegate, Newark, supports Holy Trinity Catholic Academy school hobby club with donations and Warhammer painting competition
A model shop and a school have joined forces to help encourage children to pick up a new hobby.
For over 40 years Access Models, on Castlegate, Newark, has been a one stop shop for all things modelling and has supported generations of hobbiests with their wide range of products and knowledgable staff.
Now, they hope to inspire the next generation with support for schools, including Holy Trinity Catholic Academy which runs a lunchtime hobby club, where school children can learn to paint models and play games with them.
The shop wanted to get involved and agreed to judge a painting competition and give out prizes for the winners, as well as donations to the club so that more children can get into the hobby.
Thirteen children entered their models into the competition, made up of a mixture of Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar characters, and featuring a variety of creative colour schemes and details.
But the overall winner was Adam, who was praised for his delicate detailing and interesting features such as blood splatters.
Shop co-owner, Gayle Durham, said: “It has been wonderful to see these fantastic models and painting done by such lovely kids.
“They’re very enthusiastic and keen, and we want to support and encourage children to get into the hobby.
“It’s a lovely to see young people doing something other than being on their phones or in front of the tv — it teaches patience, it teaches focus, it’s a very tactile and gratifying experience.
“We’re very big on mental wellbeing and people using the hobby for escapism, and they can engage with each other, so we’re really happy to promote that in schools.”
Currently there are around 18 students at the Holy Trinity club, but a waiting list of dozens more wanting to take part — something the shop was keen to encourage and so gifted a Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Ultimate Starter Set for the modelling club to share, as well as a bag full of paints.
Gayle added: “We would be happy to speak to other local schools who have a Warhammer or modelling club to arrange a similar visit.”
As one of the best known and longest running independents shops in Newark many of Access Models’ customers travel from afar to shop and seek advice on all aspects of modelling from dioramas and train sets to remote control cars, model aeroplanes and wargaming.
They say their focus is on providing the best possible customer experience, and they also run an online shop with an even wider range of products than what is available of shelves.
