The Lads' Club Development Project

The Lads Club has been at the very heart of life in this thriving village of Saltwood for nearly a century following a gift from the then Lady Lucy in 1924. It provides a venue for a whole variety of activities for young and old as well as serving as a church hall. Our regular users include a Scout Group, the WI, art classes, a supper club and cinema showings, a Carers and Toddler group and members of the East Kent Piping Society rehearse there.

Although much-loved, at almost 100 years old the premises are in need of modernisation. The layout and amenity of the main hall for existing regular users would be greatly improved if the original main entrance was brought back into use, disabled access was improved, the kitchen was modernised, additional storage was created and a wet room can be provided for the scout group. In addition, some routine maintenance work needs to be done, including the replacement of the asbestos roof tiles and improvements to the thermal insulation.

Our Vision is to create a warm, welcoming, modern community hub. We aim to be more than just a hall - we want a place which not only belongs TO the community, but is somewhere where parishioners and visitors alike can feel THEY belong. The Lads Club committee has been working on the project since 2018. Building was to have started in June 2020, but the Covid 19 pandemic delayed the start until April this year.

This story has a happy ending because the work is almost complete as the photographs in the gallery show. The remodelled premises will be dedicated on 2nd October by the Bishop of Dover, The Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin and officially opened a week later buy Rear Admiral Timothy Lowe CBE.

Although the original target has been achieved the Covid delays, increased material costs and the need to do more repairs than expected have pushed the total bill to over £170k. Happily, as a result of exceptionally generous donations and through many fundraising activities we have now raised enough to enable us to meet all the bills. In other words, we re-open the Lads' Club debt free.

Inevitably, now that we can see the new hall in all its glory, we have identified a few additional improvements and upgrades of equipment that weren't part of the project so for the rest of this year we remain open for further donations

The Project Team and the Parochial Church Council thanks everyone who has contributed towards the success of this project.

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