Snodland Working Men's Club in Kent
Snodland Working Men's Club is celebrating its 150th anniversary later this month as its members gather to reflect on the club's continuing role at the heart of the local community
Snodland Working Men's Club, which is situated in Kent between Rochester and Maidstone, some 34 mile from central London, stands as a testament to community spirit and tradition.
The club is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month, allowing the 500-plus current members to reflect on how this important institution has served its local community since Benjamin Disraeli was Britain's Prime Minister back in 1875.
The club began life at the height of Britain's industrial expansion with Snodland at that time becoming a major centre for lime extraction with several quarries opening in the area in order to service the massive boom in building houses and infrastructure across London and the South East.
Such was this area's importance to the building industry it was dubbed 'Cementopolis' by the newspapers of the time. Snodland was also a centre for the paper making industry with the village trebling in size between 1861 and 1881, hence the need for a club for the many workers who had moved to the area.
A report from the time reads: "It is estimated that from £1,200 to £1,600 will be necessary to complete the undertaking of building the club, which sum has already been promised. "The new building is to consist of reading, smoking, recreation and general conversation rooms.
"Also a large assembly room for concerts, lectures, and such other rational amusements, as the management committee may deem advisable".
Now, a century and a half later, the club is still very much a going concern although it has moved from that original building.
"It's a real achievement for the club to reach its 150th anniversary and an opportunity to think about the officials and members who have worked so hard over all those years to ensure that the club is still flourishing," says Club Secretary Julie Martin.
"We moved to our current building in 1974 and there are still plenty of old photographs on the walls to remind people of the club's history before that."
Having been unable to establish the exact date on which the club was founded in 1875, the Committee decided that their celebration would take place on Saturday, August 30.
"It's a good time of year to have a party and we're hoping that it will attracts lots of members," says Julie. "We worked out that back in the very early days, beer cost about half a shilling.
"So we decided to do the modern equivalent – 2p pints for members on the day. Just one per member though but it's a great incentive to come along."
The anniversary day will include live entertainment from tribute act Dolly, a barbecue and a free jukebox. There will also be specially decorated cupcakes for members on the day.
Of course, what makes Snodland WMC truly special isn't just its longevity, but its ongoing relevance to local life. With 500 members and counting, the club continues to be a vital social hub.
"We've seen lots of new housing developments in the area recently," says Julie, "and many new residents are discovering us for the first time.
"They walk past, see the club and think 'What's this place?' Then they come in and are amazed – many of them had no idea our kind of club still exist and are really happy when they see what we have to offer in terms of great facilities and cheaper drinks than in local pubs."
The club's ability to adapt while maintaining its core values is key to its success. It is open seven days a week from 12pm to 11pm and has a real mix of ages with members who have been coming in for decades rubbing shoulders with newer members, including families who have moved to the area in recent years.
The club's oldest member recently celebrated his 100th birthday with a pint at the club and pops in on a weekly basis for drink and a chat with friends.
At the other end of the age spectrum, the club holds children's events throughout the year, including Christmas and Easter, to encourage families to become part of the club.
"It's great that we can appeal to such a wide cross-section of local people," says Julie.
"We very much position ourselves as a family-orientated club and that means that you can have people of all ages coming in and socialising together, something which is not always the case in pubs."
Sports have always been at the core of many traditional social clubs, and Snodland WMC is no exception. The club boasts competitive pool and darts teams which participate in local leagues.
"Our teams compete in the week which is great for boosting trade during what could be quiet midweek evenings," says Julie.
"Obviously you also have members coming in at other times for friendly games."
For live sports fans, the club is a home away from home with several screens throughout showing the key evenrts, including those on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
"The Premier League draws a good crowd across weekends so we're looking forward to the season getting underway again in August," says Julie.
"We have various screens so we can keep everyone happy when there's a clash of fixtures - for example, when there's cricket or racing on at the same time as a football match.
"For major events, like the Women's Euros Final in July, we put the games up on the big screen in the Function Room.
"The Lionesses' triumph was a great night and everyone was celebrating as they slotted that final penalty to win the trophy.
"The atmosphere was really good, helped by the fact that we were selling beers for £3 a pint from an hour before the match to an hour after the final whistle."
Regular entertainment nights are also popular, with various singers, bands and tribute acts performing on the club's stage as well as themed discos.
"We had an incredible 1980s Disco Night recently," says Julie.
"Everyone dressed up and there were prizes for the best costumes."
The return of weekly quiz nights has also proven highly successful and has given members another reason to come through the doors.
One of the club's most successful innovations has been 'Friday Madness'.
"Every Friday we do a different beer promotion with a certain beer just £3 a pint and selected shots for £1 each," Julie explains.
The success of 'Friday Madness' demonstrates how the club balances tradition with innovation.
While maintaining its working men's club heritage, it's not afraid to try new things to attract and retain members.
Snodland WMC takes its community role seriously, regularly raising money through various initiatives, including Race Nights, raffles and special events.
"We nominate a main charity at the beginning of the year and then do various fundraising events throughout the year," says Julie.
"This year's beneficiary has been the mental health charity MIND."
Any great institution relies on its staff, and in Bar Manager Debbie Elder, Snodland WMC has a great asset.
With 15 years at the club, Debbie's knowledge and passion are invaluable to the club's continuing success.
"Debbie's brilliant – she's full of ideas to boost trade," says Julie.
Meanwhille, the 10-strong committee represents the perfect mix of experience and fresh thinking.
"We have a really proactive committee who don't mind putting in the hard work to make the club a success," says Julie.
Notably, the committee now includes several women – a significant departure from 150 years ago – offering their own perspectives and skillsets to help the club move forward.
The club continues to be an important place for local people to celebrate milestones and family events with wedding receptions, wakes and parties regularly held in the Function Room.
And, having been appointed as Secretary around 12 months ago, Julie has set about modernising the club's administration functions and systems.
\"I'm trying to get everything digitised," she says. "The old paper-based systems were so outdated and we are trying to make everything more efficient for the benefit of the club."
As Snodland WMC celebrates its 150th year, the focus is firmly on the future. "
The club is so important to the local community so we want to preserve everything that makes this club special," says Julie.
"We also want to stay relevant for future generations.
"That means balancing existing traditions with being a modern, vibrant venue."
