WORKINGMEN’S CLUB AND INSTITUTE
The club began life as “Tonyrefail Band Musical Institute”. War had been declared on Germany on 3rd August 1914, so it is remarkable that the Institute opened six weeks later on 19th September.
The first year’s record shows a membership of 280 men (there were no women members in those days) each paying a subscription of 2/- ; that’s an equivalent in 2010 of £9.28 which is four times today’s subscription.
The first member listed was Thomas Jenkins of Mill Street, Tonyrefail and he signed up in the August along with 24 other founder members.
The club has moved premises three times until its present building was erected in the early 1960’s. Substantial renovation was done in the 1980’s.
This renovation proved to become a huge burden both in the need to pay off large loans taken out with the brewers Buckleys of Llanelli (eventually Heineken UK) and the maintenance of the flat roof. The roof has been a major problem since that time.
A new chapter in the life of the club has now started with the sale of its land for development. This will include a brand new club house, hopefully not with a flat roof, and a debt-free future.
The club now has 220 members of whom 94 are life members, having completed 21 years membership and 60 are women who now enjoy equal status with their male counterparts.
The club is used regularly by various organisations such as vintage car enthusiasts and line dancers; indoor bowls and acoustic music jam sessions as well as local league tournaments in snooker, pool and darts.
