Guiseley club working on rescue package (From Wharfedale Observer)

Finance company could save the day

3:40pm Thursday 2nd September 2010 in News By Annette McIntyre

A social club could be saved from the brink of closure after members voted to keep it open.

Guiseley Liberal Club will now look at a rescue package offered by a finance company which could secure the future of the ailing institution.

The club, on Oxford Street, has played an important part in the life of the community for more than 100 years.

Said to have been “the richest club in Guiseley” during its heyday, the club has been struggling in recent years.

And this summer members were asked to vote on a closure plan amid fears that it was no longer viable.

But possible salvation has come in the shape of a rescue package put together by Minotaur Finance, which specialises in saving pubs and clubs.

Guiseley Liberal Club president Pat Nolan said: “Our secretary, John Cooper, made contact with Minotaur and their representative has spent quite a bit of time putting this package together for us. We are hoping to meet them sometime this week to look at the detail.”

At an earlier meeting members of the club were evenly split over whether to accept the package. But at a further meeting at the weekend they voted in favour of keeping the club open and giving the deal a chance – with 22 votes to stay open against 14 to close.

The club, which is owned by its members, has been a hub of the community for generations, and Mr Nolan is hoping the Minotaur deal will give it the lifeline it needs.

He said details of the offer would be made available to all members, and plans were already afoot to stage live entertainment once finances were sorted out.

He said the club was still open for business and that they were hoping to get back to full-time opening.

He said the committee were particularly grateful to member Paul Kennedy for using his financial knowledge to help the club over the past year.

Mr Nolan said: “I was absolutely chuffed to bits with the decision – because the club has been a big part of the community for 100 years. If we just voted for closure then we would be letting down members.”