Appeal to help much-loved Moray social club facing £30k repair bill, as Elgin Ex-Servicemen's Club supports displaced Elgin Community Centre groups
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AFTER it was hit with a £30,000 bill for an essential repair, the Moray public for help has been asked to help a generations-old Elgin social club.
The Elgin Ex-Servicemen's Club, set up in May 1957, is looking to raise £5000 to help fix the flat roof above its 180-capacity main hall.
Along with its four-table snooker room upstairs and public bar with live music every Saturday, the function room is one of the club's top draws.
Committee member Gwen Jones is leading the effort by setting up a JustGiving page, which she hopes will unite the community in supporting the club.
"Everyone is supporting the club as best they can but it is a lot of money to raise," she said.
"We just want to see the club survive.
"Because it is a great building and it is well used.
"We will have to do it either way, but a bit of sponsorship money can go a long way."
Gwen has also organised a six-hour sponsored spinning bike session alongside son Kevin O'Donnell and club member Davie Smith.
Kevin is also going the extra mile, offering to support renovation works through his workplace Northscaff.
She said the January 27 event, from Noon to 6pm, was made possible by the kindness of spinning instructor Tracey Carrington-Hume, who previously hosted classes at Elgin Community Centre, in donating two bikes.
Elgin Pipe Band, who practice at the club, will kick off the effort at Noon.
"I go to spinning twice a week, every week," Gwen said.
"We aren’t putting a mileage target on it, but somebody will be there sat on the bike for six hours.
"Now it’s getting closer, it's getting real.
“I don’t know how it’s going to go, but I'm just hoping the club will be busy."
The Elgin Ex-Servicemen's Club has recently found a role in supporting groups in the wake of the announcement that Elgin Community Centre is to close.
Along with the large function hall, groups have made use of the committee room and a smaller upstairs room.
Fellow committee member William Stewart said: “A lot of members do support the club very well.
“We have music every weekend and that gets a lot of folk in.
“We rent a lot of the rooms out to groups, a lot of them from the Community Centre, like the Ball group and the Brownies.
"Renting it out is the way forward.
“It’s good to be able to do that, especially when they have just been thrown out with no alternative."
Gwen added: “And it’s good to keep them in Elgin."
This New Year’s Eve, Gwen said the hall was packed with 180 people with live music and the pipe band.
The club also hosted a free OAP Christmas Lunch for members.
Gwen credits the club's turnaround with the introduction of live music.
When music is in the busy bar, she said, it is: “just bouncing”.
“The diary is full for the rest of 2024," Gwen added.
“It’s like a full time job – and I am meant to be retired!
“But we have to do it to support the club."
