Club back to former glory after £60k work

A social club at the heart of a community for 40 years has had a £60,000 facelift.

Longford Social Club, in Cannock, is home to a wide range of clubs, groups and activities including Cannock Highland Pipe Band.

A leaking roof caused damage to a polished wood floor in the community room, making it uneven and unsafe. As a result, the management committee spearheaded a renovation project to restore the building to its former glory. The roof has been replaced and the community room has a new floor.

Jim Morris, a founder member of the club, said: "Longford Social Club was created to bring together a diverse group of people who had come into the area in search of work when mining was at its peak.

"They came from far and wide including Newcastle upon Tyne, Wales and Scotland.

"A great deal of time and hard work went into creating the club 40 years ago and it is still going strong today.

"It's wonderful to see the restoration of the building and I'm looking forward to the next 40 years."

The club attracts members both old and young ranging from retired Cannock Chase miners through to young people in their late teens.

Ivy Aldus, from the Cannock Highland Pipe Band, said: "We represent the historic diversity of the original club.

"We were really worried that the club would have to close and the band may have been disbanded.

"Now the restored building is a fantastic place to rehearse and play."

The car park of the club in Wellington Drive has also been resurfaced

Cash for the building work came from Staffordshire Environmental Fund, Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust, The Veolia Environmental Trust. There were also contributions from Staffordshire County Council's Local Member Initiative Scheme and Cannock Chase District Council.