A community club in Swindon which has been around since before World War 1 is fundraising for a much-needed refurbishment.

The committee at Westcott Place Club are hoping to refurbish the venue next year and update the carpets, chairs and tables, interior and outdoor spaces and install new toilets.

They have set a target of £8,000 on their Just Giving page and have started hosting live music events, with raffles, table-top sales, karaoke and drink deals to raise the funds to make the space a nicer environment for the local community for years to come.

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Entertainment manager Nathanael Parker said: “The club is very tired. The carpets and toilets are all very worn and we have found people don’t want to come in for a drink.

“We’ve set the target of £8,000 because if we don’t start now, we never will. We’re hoping to start the work whenever we can get to the target, which will be great.

“The club is wonderful with wonderful members and many have been going for such a long time. But unfortunately, it’s not a nice environment despite the music and people being great.

“It would be such a shame to lose it. We would love to have the refurbishment done by the end of 2025 – it would be brilliant.

“The club is a real staple of the community. There are about 250 members at the moment and a lot of them live locally. It’s also the only place many care home residents come to socialise too and they don’t want to lose that.

“The turnaround would be really quick. We expect the club would only be closed for five days and the refurbishment wouldn’t take long as it’s all cosmetic damage.”

Their first fundraiser took place on October 5, which was met with an extremely positive response from locals who were thrilled about the refurbishment plans.

(Image: Angel Gorgueira)

“We were overwhelmed by the response of the members and the community at our fundraiser on Saturday”, Nathanael added.

“There is a real buzz in the air from our members knowing the committee is working hard to get the Westcott Place Club updated and given a new look”

“We believe we're the oldest club in Swindon, incorporated on 18 Feb 1891. We have always had the community’s back and it’s wonderful to see the community have interest in the ongoing success and refurbishment of our club.”

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