These are benefits of the game that NSW Scrabble Club vice-president Bob Jackman knows all too well about.

He is trying to establish a Scrabble club here in Cessnock.

Bob was president of the state-wide club for around 20 years, stepping back into the vice-president role around four years ago; he has also played in five Scrabble World Championships.

He believes setting up a competitive club in Cessnock would be useful in a community like ours, and that “setting up and running a club such as this could be [a] rewarding experience for someone with a keen interest in the game of Scrabble”.

“It allows the players to see Scrabble differently; strategically, mathematically,” Bob said, adding that life-long friendships can be formed through the game.

Bob is seeking a convenor and players to be involved in and start up the club, which could lead to players contending competitive competitions across the state.

“[Travelling to competitions can] broaden their horizons, seeing more of the state that they live in,” Bob said.

Although Bob lives in Sydney, he said he would come to the Hunter Valley and provide the necessary resources to help start up the club.

Cessnock Library has offered a playing space, and Bob has also suggested that the future convenor could approach local clubs to host night-time competitions.

He hopes that if a Scrabble Club is created in Cessnock, a Hunter league would evolve, as there is already an established club in Newcastle as well as on the Central Coast.

For more information about Scrabble Clubs in NSW, visit the website here or the Facebook page here.

Interested players and convenors can contact Bob directly on 0400 226 541.