Community saves club, Teesdale Mercury

An under-threat social club has been saved after members rallied round to raise thousands of pounds in a year-long battle to secure its future.

Cockfield Working Men’s Club was hit with a winding up petition from HM Revenue and Customs for debts of £45,000, last January.

After members found out about the crisis in March, they decided to raise funds to save the club, which is more than 100 years old.

One of the fundraisers, Sarah Armstrong, who had her wedding reception at the club, said: “We all have our own memories of the club and it is an important part of the village. It would be missed if it went – it would be a loss for everyone.

“It is nice to see that the work has paid off, but we will carry on doing what we can to keep it going.”

Liz Dowson organised a weekly raffle that has raised more than £4,000 for the club.

“It is part of the community and we didn’t want it to close,” she said. “But it wasn’t just us – everybody has rallied round and done their bit.”

Winding up was stayed at a court hearing last year, when it was revealed that the tax debt was based on estimates only, because the club had not returned its accounts since 2001.

An accountant then investigated the club’s finances and liaised with Revenue and Customs, and this debt was eventually recalculated to £4,000. But the club was left with the costs of receivership and legal and accountancy fees, totalling more than £20,000.

An increase in trade and the efforts of the people of Cockfield means these debts have now been cleared.

Over the last year, fundraisers have organised car boot sales, raffles, jumble sales and more, making thousands of pounds for the club.

A signed pair of footballer Tony MacMahon’s boots was raffled, and ‘ghost hunts’ at the club were also arranged.

Club secretary Donald Metcalfe said he would not comment unless he could first see a proof copy of this 

article.