A MAN hopes he can help a Bradford district town thrive by building a community spirit at his gaming shop.

Dice Dice Baby, a shop based inside Shipley Underground Market, Kirkgate, aims to bring together like-minded people through their love of games.

It is the brainchild of Ryan Troy. He is the market’s manager and initially opened his own shop at the site in October last year.

It then re-opened in June and was double the size.

The shop sells a host of board games, many of which have a cult following, including Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, released in 1993 and the first tabletop and digital collectable card game.

Visitors to the shop can not only buy dice-based board games, but are also encouraged to play them with others.

The shop is part of a group of shops across the country called Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS) where gamers meet and play at sites like Dice Dice Baby.

The shop is part of a thriving gaming community in Shipley, which also includes a weekly session held at the Groove Pad bar.

Dice Dice Baby is also holding a series of gaming events at the shop every Saturday during August.

These include a Pokemon fun day today (August 12) where collectors of the cartoon series’ cards can learn how to play them.

A similar session for Magic: The Gathering will be held next Saturday.

Mr Troy said the shop evolved from lockdown when he opened a business selling jewellery and then resin dice via an online retailer.

He said: “It’s about trying to get a community together. Making sure we have somewhere for like-minded people.

“Having my own shop means I can see the market at a new level.

“We’re trying to get people in off the streets to do something cool.

“It’s got quite loyal customers. We get regulars, which is quite a cool thing. We get new faces in too.

“It is a community within a community. It’s nice talking to people at the shop. We have people coming from different age groups. We have a massive mix of stuff in the shop.

“I want Shipley to thrive.”

Dice Dice Baby is open at Shipley Underground Market every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9am until 4pm and is closed on Sundays.

Go to dicedicebabygifts.co.uk for more information.