Use it or lose it: Supercharged band of volunteers in Great Doddington save beloved club from closure

A Northamptonshire village club has been rescued by a team of 45-strong volunteers after it announced it was closing due to financial difficulties.

Great Doddington Club, affectionately known as the ‘Doddy Club’, has been at the heart of the village for more than 100 years - prized locally for its unrivalled views of the rolling Nene landscape.

Now, under new direction, it’s looking ahead to bringing back food and entertainment later this year.

It comes as an urgent meeting was called on 25 February to announce the club’s closure.

Volunteer, David Smith, said villagers have since worked tirelessly, round-the-clock, to save it.

So-much-so, in just five days, volunteers have gone above and beyond by self-funding licensing courses and buying £1,600 of drinks so the bar could re-open.

Volunteers are working in groups to help a specific area of the club thrive, including bar service, membership and business development, finance and maintenance.

Mr Smith said: “It’s a fantastic community building, after Covid it never quite found its feet again but we said ‘this community really deserves a club, so we’re going to come back’.”

On 3 March, customers turned up in their droves to show their support, with more than 200 stepping foot in the club.

“The next thing we are going to look at is the catering on Fridays, Sunday lunchtime and maybe Saturday but in good time,” Mr Smith added.

The club is also looking ahead to opening in the daytime for community groups for tea and coffees and as a venue for other events.

Mr Smith added: “People are fitting all of this hard work around their jobs. All of the volunteers are just superb, people want to help in whatever way they can.

“When we had our first customers through the doors come in, it felt fantastic, this is what it was all for.”

Volunteers want to make the point that anyone can enjoy the Great Doddington Club and you don’t have to be a villager.

However, the club is run on a membership-only basis, which means a member and their guest can enter the club, provided the member has paid an annual £15 membership fee.

For one-off entries, guests without a membership can pay £3 to bar staff to enter.

At the end of the three day opening weekend, there are now more than 400 members, 120 of which signed up during the weekend, according to interim club president, Steve Taschini.

He said: “The number of people coming in and those signing up this weekend are a strong indication of how much Great Doddington values the club.

"It has been a central part of the community for over a century.

"It’s a hub where memories are made and friendships created and cherished. We are all working to ensure that the ‘Doddy Club’ continues to be around to offer that for another hundred years”.

A Go Fund Me page has also been created for surplus donations, to cover running costs, which has so-far raised £2,105 (at the time of writing).