Village People
A community hub S
A report on Alvechurch Sports & Social Club by its vice president, Karl Farrell.
ince my last article about the club, in September 2014, it’s pleasing to report that further
solid progress has been made. For those new to Alvechurch, the club is situated just opposite the doctors’ surgery and is a CIU-affiliated (Club & Institute Union) club, run and owned by its members.
FINANCIAL STABILITY Since the mid 1970s about two thirds of such clubs have either folded or changed status to become privately owned. The AS&SC is bucking this trend, not just by surviving but by investing in and improving the club’s infrastructure. Repairs, refurbishments and redec-
orating have been made possible not only by the fact that a healthy surplus has been made over the last two financial years, but also by members volunteering their labour in many in- stances. All the debts from three years ago have been paid and we now have a bit of money in the bank.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
These are varied and include :- l Weekly men’s & ladies’ darts teams l Snooker teams (four last season)
l Quiz night on Thursdays l Wargames Club (usually Mondays –
see the ‘Alvechurch Templars’ Facebook page)
l Monthly poker tournament (first Saturday of the month)
l Pool team (Wednesdays) l Karaoke on Sundays l Acoustic Roots live music evening 10 times a year
l Themed Discos l Occasional band evenings.
COMMUNITY ASSET The club is officially recognised as such by both the Alvechurch Parish and Bromsgrove District Councils. Illustrative of this status is the sharing of the club’s car park with villagers,
(very handy if visiting the doctor or nearby shops). In addition, monthly meetings are held at the club by the Ex-Services Association and Alve- church Community Choir. There’s also a well-established nursery operating Monday to Thursday during school term times. Any charity organisation holding a
fundraising event is granted FREE use of the function room. (It’s also worth mentioning that during the past month, more than £350 in members’ donations has been sent to local charities such as the Air Ambulance and the Primrose Hospice.)
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP Besides being able to take part in many of the above activities, mem- bers enjoy low-priced drinks (e.g. Carling is still £3 a pint), a huge re- duction for hiring the function room (£30 instead of £100), the use of two snooker tables and the FREE use of a tournament-standard pool table. For 2017 the annual membership
fee has been reduced to £10; new members pay an extra £3.50 for CIU registration (this is a legal require- ment). If you would like to join the club, please pick up an application form from the bar staff, leave a message on the Facebook page (‘Alvechurch Sports & Social Club’), or ring during opening hours on 0121 445 2121.
10 The Village July 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
