Social club to close in cost-cutting

A sports and social club at Oswestry's Orthopaedic Hospital is to close by the end of July as hospital managers look to cut costs.

The club has been running for 32 years.

Organisers said they were told to raise £68,000 by April 2009 if they wanted to continue.

But June Middleton, club chairman for nearly 25 years, said it would take a miracle.

"We are a non-profit organisation and they requested a payment, in three parts, of £68,000 by April 2009," she said.

The committee was told in November 2007.

Mrs Middleton said the club had never been asked to contribute towards running costs such as electricity, but regularly held fundraisers with cash being ploughed back into the hospital.

"I think every department in the hospital has had something from us in those 32 years," she said.

Closure will mean the club's various sports teams must find new venues.

Hospital managers say the club costs £21,500 in yearly running costs, which could not continue to the detriment of other services.