A SOCIAL club’s new committee members are hoping their recently-refurbished facility will attract more footfall through the door.
Officers are now offering free use of the meeting room at Hamsterley Social Club to community groups and are putting on more live music and events to encourage increased patronage.
Entertainment co-ordinator Leonie McWatson said: “We have just had our first wedding of the year in the newly refurbished function room and some live music.
“We are seeing a turnaround from it being a small, locals only club, to expanding and drawing a few more people in through the doors.”
Secretary, Clare Bainbridge, who has been a member since 1987, added: “We are desperately trying to get away from the old workingmen’s club type thing.
“It is a social club now and open to members, families and guests. We still have to get over that bit where it was a workingmen’s club.
“Although a lot of working men come in, there is a big female base and we get more footfall from females than we do males actually. The age group is between 30 and 50, so we are not all flat caps and whippets.”
The club recently hosted musician Ross Martin who did a brilliant acoustic set from the late 50s through to the 90s.
Ms McWatson said: “He was on for a good couple of hours and he was really popular.
“We have Marianne who likes to play here. She does all female solo-artist covers from the 80s to today.”
Although a membership club, officers welcome guests dropping in. However, the incentive to pay the £10 annual fee is that members get to use the function room for free once in the year.
Along with giving the function room a makeover with the help of volunteers, two of whom are builders, a new meeting space has also been opened up.
The entertainment co-ordinator said: “We are hoping more people will avail themselves of the facilities because the meeting room was only recently cleared out and refurbished so we could open it up to the community for free. We had the Hamsterley Hoppings ladies in the other day.”
Ms McWatson has only been a member for a year and, being new to the area, joined the club with her husband as a way to get to know people in the community.
Recent activities to make the space more welcoming for families have seen an Easter egg hunt and bonnet competition, while Christmas and Halloween parties are planned.
Ms McWatson said: “This year I am hoping to do a Guy Fawkes competition. We have lots of activities planned, especially during the summer.”
Ms Bainbridge said: “We have a lot of caravaners as well come up, so we want to encourage them to come up with their children so we are thinking about a bouncy castle.”
For more information about the club ring 01388 488366.
