Smoking ban 'has put club's future in doubt'
Smoking ban 'has put club's future in doubt'
THE smoking ban jeopardising the future of Darlington's oldest working men's club, members will be told at their annual meeting next month.
"I'm hoping it won't come to closure, I really am - it would be the saddest day of my life, but the alarm bells are starting to ring," said Stan Summers, president of the Darlington Club.
The ban is one of three major legislative changes which are losing the 106-year-old club in High Northgate a tenth of its income.
As well as facing increasing competition from cheap supermarket alcohol, the club is having to cover the cost of changes to the licensing and gambling laws.
"The changes are costing us £300 to £500 a week," said Mr Summers. "You will see a number of working men's clubs disappear because I can't see many being able to sustain these type of losses. That's £15,000 a year at least, possibly £25,000.
"We raise thousands of pounds a year for charities and that's going to suffer, the community spirit will suffer, and so will things like our outings and Christmas parties for old people.
"We believe we provide something for the community, and that will go. People feel safe in our club because we police it and manage it. They feel comfortable in it
"I can't see things improving unless we can wave a magic wand."
The club has just under 1,000 members - about half of whom are active - and is one of six affiliated to the Club and Institute Union (CIU) in the town.
This year's gaming licence has cost it £2,000 whereas last year's cost £150.
The club feels it is enforcing the smoking ban to the letter of the law by having an expensive canopy but some town centre pubs are just allowing smokers to spill out onto the streets. The CIU argued that working men's clubs should be regarded as private clubs and so exempt from the ban, but Parliament rejected this plea.
Mr Summers will report to the club's annual meeting on November 27 the results of a meeting with Darlington MP Alan Milburn.
Mr Milburn said: "I visited the club to hear the concerns they have about the impact of various charges and regulations. I have asked the club to give me a full run down of the charges they're having to make. I have offered to take up the club's concerns with ministers in the Treasury."
Mr Summers, who joined the club in 1960 in the footsteps of his father who joined in 1926, said: "I am going to be informing people of the circumstances. We are going to have to see about cutting our cloth somehow. Where we are going to make the cuts, I don't know.
"There will have to be some soul searching. I have told the committee they have to come up with ideas."
http://tinyurl.com/2gf3pc
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
THE smoking ban jeopardising the future of Darlington's oldest working men's club, members will be told at their annual meeting next month.
"I'm hoping it won't come to closure, I really am - it would be the saddest day of my life, but the alarm bells are starting to ring," said Stan Summers, president of the Darlington Club.
The ban is one of three major legislative changes which are losing the 106-year-old club in High Northgate a tenth of its income.
As well as facing increasing competition from cheap supermarket alcohol, the club is having to cover the cost of changes to the licensing and gambling laws.
"The changes are costing us £300 to £500 a week," said Mr Summers. "You will see a number of working men's clubs disappear because I can't see many being able to sustain these type of losses. That's £15,000 a year at least, possibly £25,000.
"We raise thousands of pounds a year for charities and that's going to suffer, the community spirit will suffer, and so will things like our outings and Christmas parties for old people.
"We believe we provide something for the community, and that will go. People feel safe in our club because we police it and manage it. They feel comfortable in it
"I can't see things improving unless we can wave a magic wand."
The club has just under 1,000 members - about half of whom are active - and is one of six affiliated to the Club and Institute Union (CIU) in the town.
This year's gaming licence has cost it £2,000 whereas last year's cost £150.
The club feels it is enforcing the smoking ban to the letter of the law by having an expensive canopy but some town centre pubs are just allowing smokers to spill out onto the streets. The CIU argued that working men's clubs should be regarded as private clubs and so exempt from the ban, but Parliament rejected this plea.
Mr Summers will report to the club's annual meeting on November 27 the results of a meeting with Darlington MP Alan Milburn.
Mr Milburn said: "I visited the club to hear the concerns they have about the impact of various charges and regulations. I have asked the club to give me a full run down of the charges they're having to make. I have offered to take up the club's concerns with ministers in the Treasury."
Mr Summers, who joined the club in 1960 in the footsteps of his father who joined in 1926, said: "I am going to be informing people of the circumstances. We are going to have to see about cutting our cloth somehow. Where we are going to make the cuts, I don't know.
"There will have to be some soul searching. I have told the committee they have to come up with ideas."
http://tinyurl.com/2gf3pc
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk
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