Social centre victim to changing times

19 December 2000

Lack of support by members is causing the closure of the Drummond Centre Sports and Social Club at the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

The last drinks will be served at the club, which has a bar, sports area and meeting room, on Friday (22 December) and bookings for functions will not be made beyond the end of February next year.

Club chairman Mike Stephens said the decision had been taken following an appeal to members to attend a meeting last month to discuss the future. No one turned up.

A 'use your club' and membership drive over the last two years had also failed to boost support for it, he said. Despite having a membership of 300 people only 10 use the club's facilities on a regular basis. The part time barman has found alternative work.

The Drummond Centre has been open at the hospital in Hardwick Lane for the last 14 years, when it moved from its previous home in Hospital Road.

"Times have changed," said Mr Stephens. ''People don't want to come back to the place where they work to socialise. There are plenty of other choices. I think it says something about the matter when there are so few customers that I can name every one of them."

The main use of the building, which is owned by the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust, has been by organisations who have hired the facilities but even this has been in decline recently.

"Once we have closed the club we will ask members how they would like the remaining assets to be distributed. I hope we will be able to donate them to a good cause," he added.

Johanna Finn, trust chief executive said she was sad that the club was no longer well supported. The trust has a number of needs for additional accommodation and would now look for an alternative use for the building.

She added that the West Suffolk Hospital Radio station, which is based at the Drummond Centre, would continue to have a home there for the time being. If the building's new use affected it the trust would provide suitable alternative accommodation.

"The radio station is a very important part of hospital life and we will make sure that it always has a home.