Geek Retreat Liverpool partners with Young Epilepsy to become an epilepsy aware space

Working with national charity, Young Epilepsy, Geek Retreat Liverpool is one of the first stores in the UK-wide chain to open as an epilepsy-aware space aiming to create a friendly, welcoming place for young people living with epilepsy.

Gaming culture café, Geek Retreat Liverpool will host their first Pokémon Kids Club to raise funds for Young Epilepsy at the Church Street venue on Saturday 24 June, 10am-12pm.

The special event for under 16s invites young Pokémon enthusiasts to simply show up play games, relax and meet new friends and maybe bump into a wild Pikachu in store! Entry is £5 per player and includes a booster pack, while £1 of every entry is donated to Young Epilepsy.

Geek Retreat Liverpool is an Official Pokémon Organised Play Store meaning they often have exclusive promotion items to give out, plus they’re stocked with a great selection of hot drinks and good food while you play.

Young Epilepsy is working with Geek Retreat, as they are a business that strives to provide a safe socialising space for young people with shared interests, to create an inclusive environment where young people living with epilepsy can feel confident that their condition has been recognised.

There are more than 100,000 children and young people living with epilepsy in the UK. The condition can often leave young people feeling frightened and alone. For them life can be very different from their peers and inevitably this can take a toll on their physical and mental health, as well as impacting their education and social life. Many children with epilepsy are missing out.

Thanks to basic epilepsy awareness information provided by Young Epilepsy to Geek Retreat staff, the relationship looks to set to produce a place where young people living with epilepsy can socialise, increasing their confidence that should a seizure occur, there would be no judgement and staff have an idea of what is happening and what that can to do to help.

Sally Brighton, Fundraising and Communications Director at Young Epilepsy said: 

“We know that those under 25 living with epilepsy face challenges across many areas of their lives. There are over 40 different types of seizure and every young person’s epilepsy is unique to them. For many young people, living with epilepsy can feel lonely and anxious, as the condition is often misunderstood and stigmatised. 

“Thanks to our relationship with Geek Retreat, young people can now find a safe, welcoming space to socialise away from home, meet with friends, have fun and not feel isolated. We are delighted to be working with Geek Retreat to provide welcoming, inclusive environments where those living with epilepsy feel their condition is recognised but not judged.”

Geek Retreat Chief Executive, Peter Dobson, said: 

“We are thrilled to be supporting Young Epilepsy as first and foremost, Geek Retreat is a safe and inclusive space for like-minded individuals, and by working together we can now provide this for those young people living with epilepsy.  We want all our customers to feel confident that our staff are open and understanding of them.”

Liverpool Franchisee, Chris Rule, said: 

“We are absolutely thrilled that we can say that we are ‘epilepsy aware’ here in Liverpool. We look forward to welcoming our new customers into our friendly and inclusive space.”

The relationship between Geek Retreat and Young Epilepsy also hopes to increase epilepsy awareness in the community, breaking down stigma.

For more info on Geek Retreat Liverpool click here, and for Young Epilepsy click here.