Welcome to The Campfire, a neurodivergent community fostering confidence and friendships through games and storytelling.
Our Services
The Campfire runs neuroaffirming social groups using Dungeons & Dragons (“D&D”) as a medium to foster wellbeing through social inclusion, creative interests and social skills. We create a safe and welcoming environment for our community to be themselves and connect with others.
We run our sessions with a focus on collaborative storytelling, tailoring the content of each session to the decisions and characters that the players make. Through these roleplaying experiences we provide play-based learning opportunities that promote:
Social confidence
Conversational skills
Emotional intelligence
Teamwork
Strategic problem solving
Literacy and numeracy
In addition to our core offering, D&D, we have launched several other groups based on our community’s interests, including Warhammer, Magic the Gathering, and a wide range of school holiday activities.
NDIS participants can claim the cost of sessions through their plans under Core and Capacity Building.
Dungeons & Dragons
We run weekday and weekend sessions for groups of four players, spanning 3-4 hours. Groups are supported by two workers, one who runs the D&D and another who plays their own in-world character in a peer support role. Our groups span a range of ages and we assist players to find the right group to play alongside their peers.
Players create their own characters and play through custom designed adventures set in a story world that responds to their decisions and interests session to session. The Campfire has designed its own accessible rules for D&D that, in conjunction with experienced game facilitators, make it easier for players to interact with the game and have agency within the story world. Game materials and all other necessary equipment are provided.
Warhammer
We provide a structured, supportive environment for individuals to explore their creativity and develop social connections while engaging in the captivating world of Warhammer 40k.
Our program guides participants through every step of the hobby, from assembling intricate miniature models to mastering various painting techniques. Warhammer involves learning to craft your own unique armies, and then engaging in thrilling tabletop battles, where strategic thinking and camaraderie take center stage.
We emphasize a collaborative atmosphere, fostering peer support and shared enjoyment of this engaging hobby. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or a complete beginner, you'll find a welcoming community here.
Based in Adelaide, South Australia, our neurodiverse team offers support and a lived-experience approach. We have a device range of backgrounds and experience, including teaching and social work, that informs our service.
Our team members share a love of movies, comics, books and games of all kinds, particularly fantasy and science fiction. We enjoy fostering connections within our community over shared interests.
Our Team
Josh - Founder and Group Leader
Josh has run and played Dungeons and Dragons for over a decade. He holds tertiary qualifications in Business and Design and spent the early part of his career working in IT and business consulting in Melbourne. In early 2021, he moved back home to Adelaide and took the opportunity for a career change that better aligned with his values. He commenced work as a disability support worker before founding the Campfire.
Josh has worked for Autism SA on an exciting research project, run by Dr Thirumanickam, looking at the use of Minecraft® to promote social collaboration skills in autistic pre-teens.
As a neurodivergent person himself, Josh considers it a joy and a privilege to have helped build a safe, neuroaffirming and welcoming community at the Campfire.
Tim - Group Leader and Support Worker
Tim runs the Campfire’s Star Wars D&D group as well as our Warhammer Club. He has over a decade of experience running tabletop games such as D&D and Warhammer, which allows him to create dynamic, fun and seamless experiences for our group members.
With a degree in Media and Communications, Tim understands the impact the narrative activities we co-create at the table can have, and how best to engage group members in those stories.
Terrence - Group Leader and Support Worker
Before joining The Campfire, Terrence had already been using tabletop role-playing games in his support work as a way to bring people together. He is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels welcome, included, and supported.
Terrence loves seeing the friendships and connections that grow around the table and is always looking for ways to make games as engaging and accessible as possible. He is currently building upon these skills further with his studies in Social Work at Flinders Uni.
Toby - Support Worker
Toby is a passionate primary school teacher with experience working with children of all ages. He enjoys sharing his passion for D&D and board games with others, and helping to foster confidence and social skills.
Toby works alongside our community to encourage full participation in activities and ensures a safe space for everyone to be themselves and connect.
Bailey - Support Worker
Bailey has been running D&D for over seven years and loves using tabletop games to create engaging and meaningful experiences. With a background in support work, he understands the importance of fostering connection and ensuring that everyone feels valued and included.
Bailey brings a thoughtful and compassionate approach to supporting personal growth in those around him. As a neurodivergent person with ADHD, he understands the power of shared interests in building friendships and social confidence. His passion is helping others form lasting connections, both within The Campfire’s groups and beyond.
Contact Us
We would love to speak to you about how we can be of service. Send us a message and we'll get right back to you!