Each week, the Gazette takes to the streets to unearth something being manufactured right here in Hackney. This week we visit Focus Games’ HQ in Hoxton, where former councillor Patrick Vernon’s Windrush board game was developed, as well as a plethora of teaching aids for the NHS.
Focus Games makes games for the likes of Heineken, McDonalds, Pfizer and the NHS to encourage people at work to learn from each other with no trainer required.
With a HQ in Wenlock Road, Hoxton, it has developed more than 50 games for clients in health and social care since 2004 including The Sepsis Game to help diagnose the potentially fatal condition, The Burns Game to help professionals deal with burn-injured patients, and the Game of Stools to increase understanding of C diff. The Drug Round Game is to help minimise medication errors from healthcare professionals, testing knowledge around drug calculations.
Founders Melvin Bell and Andy Yeoman have backgrounds in business consulting. All they knew about board games when they set up the company was that that they were great for “getting people talking”.
Now they have a team of 10 in Glasgow and London.
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