With social clubs battling rising costs and changing customer habits, Sheffield’s Southey Social Club is adapting its offer as it fights to secure its future. What impact further tax rises in the upcoming Budget will have on the club could move the dial from crippling to life threatening.
Social clubs are fighting for survival as spiralling operating costs, changing drinking habits and the lasting effects of the pandemic place mounting pressure on the sector.
Sheffield’s Southey Social Club, which has served its community since 1936, is among those battling to remain viable, with steward Darren “Daz” Mullen insisting he will not allow the venue to close without a fight.
“Our electric bill is between £2,500-3,000 per month, and it’s crippling us,” he stressed. “Absolutely crippling us.”
Mullen said pressures were coming from multiple directions, including minimum wage increases, VAT and rising costs passed down by breweries. The club has already increased its prices twice this year.
However, its difficulties reflect a much broader contraction of Britain’s traditional club sector. Around 4,500 venues belonged to the Club and Institute Union (CIU) during the 1970s, compared with approximately 1,100 today.
“The club culture has changed unbelievably,” Mullen reflected. “It’s a difficult, very difficult trade to be in.”
CIU general secretary Kenneth Green pointed to the decline of the steel and coal industries, reduced disposable income and the pandemic as factors behind the sector’s struggles.
“If the members are not using the club, as has been found lately, then unfortunately, the clubs fail to survive,” he explained.
Despite the pressures, Southey is looking for ways to adapt. Improvements have included new carpets, reupholstered seating, a new bar and cellar, while solar panels and converting part of the building to generate additional income are being considered. The entertainment offer is also evolving, with football screenings, boxing events and reggae nights complementing traditional bingo, alongside the launch of a new pool league.
For Mullen, keeping the club alive ultimately means continuing to adapt and invest despite the challenging environment.
“It’s just about trying,” he concluded.
Anti-social costs
Southey Social Club said… “Our electric bill is between £2,500-3,000 per month, and it’s crippling us…
Originally published on Coinslot on September 21, 2026. Republished with permission.