York gets its own Lego club

Dom Billington, who works as a customer service manager for City of York Council, regularly visits collectors fairs with his family, and has now set up a Lego club to encourage other families to spend time together building brick sets.

Dom and his wife Lucy run Billington's Toys, and together with their children Elizabeth and Edward want to see more people taking up the hobby.

Dom said: "We love our toys and we love seeing the joy that they bring. Lego is no exception. Often kids can stand for ages just taking in all the mini figures on display at toy fairs and their parents stay with them. I think Lego can bring families closer as they discover, create and build together.

"We know there is only so much Lego that any child needs, but there is also that feeling that we have described as the thrill of the build: just to have a go at building a Minecraft set, or a part of Lego City. We personally love the Lord of the Rings collection, but we know it will be built and then left to gather dust or, heartbreak of heartbreaks, it gets muddled in with all the rest of the Lego."

Their club, named Thrill of the Build, has run in Costa Coffee in Haxby on the first Saturday of every month since the end of last year, with dozens of children so far taking part.

Dom, who is a member of York City Church, also said: "It is great to see families and their friends creating and building together. The emphasis is really that we are providing rich family time. It is a non-threatening way for us to serve families and adults and chat to them along the way."

"We hope that God will work through Thrill of the Build in the same way that he does work through our toddler groups and foodbank sessions. It is another way to introduce friends to other people in our church while creating an opportunity for relationships to be built."

Sessions aimed solely at adults have also been launched at the venue, while family sessions have also spread to Costa Coffee branches in Leeds and Catterick Garrison.