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BBC Somerset

South Chard social club ‘could close’ due to series of VAT bills

18 December 2025

Ruth BradleyPolitics reporter, BBC Somerset

Perry St Social Club Two women behind a bar with pirate decorations, beer pumps and a pint on the bar, they are smiling at the camera — Perry Street Social Club employs 11 local people

An “incredible” 126-year-old social club could have to close over a series of large VAT bills.

Perry Street Social Club, in the village of South Chard in Somerset, has launched a ‘Save Our Club’ campaign as well as doubling its membership fees and asking people to pay them early.

Chair Martin Whitehead said the not-for-profit club was a victim of current trends in the hospitality business.

The government said it was “backing hospitality not abandoning it” and recognised it was a “vital part” of the economy.

The club has 351 members which it said was an increase of 100 in the last year

Perry St Social Club People dressed in cowboy outfits dancing under red lights and USA flag bunting in a bar — The club has 351 members which it said was an increase of 100 in the last year

Martin Whitehead is head of the committee of volunteers which runs the club.

“The killer for us is the the rate of taxes we have to pay in order to keep the facility going – because you can’t have a bar without drinks,” he said.

“VAT bills were piling in and we got into a hole,” Mr Whitehead added.

He said the club had one VAT bill which it was managing on a payment plan, then another one came, with a further due to land in January.

The club has two skittles alleys used by local teams

Perry St Social Club A group of people gathered at the end of a skittle alley with wooden skittles set up in front of them. Some people are holding drinks and they are all smiling at the camera. There is a highly patterned carpet either side of the skittle alley — The club has two skittles alleys used by local teams

Part of the large club building is an old lace factory from the 1830s. It was given to the local community 126 years ago and now employs 11 people.

Mr Whitehead said it was an “incredible” facility with a function room. “But we can’t afford to heat it [the room] and the roof is a bit dodgy,” he added.

Fees used to be £20 a year for a new adult member – £17.50 for renewals – but are being doubled for the coming year.

Members get 80p off a pint and the club said 70 people had paid the new rates already and some have also given extra.

The club, part of which is an old lace factory, has a 250-person function room upstairs

Perry St Social Club A large wooden-floored hall set up for a functon with tables and chairs set out with white table cloths and chair covers and purple ribbons. There are bunches of purple balloons around the room and black wooden beams across the ceiling — The club, part of which is an old lace factory, has a 250-person function room upstairs

The government said it had delivered a £4.3bn support package for pubs, restaurants, and cafes because hospitality is a “vital part of our economy”.

“We’ve also maintained the draught beer duty cut, eased licences rules over pavement drinks and events, and capped corporation tax.

“These measures show we’re backing hospitality not abandoning it.”

From April there will be new, permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure, which the government said will be the lowest in more than 30 years for small venues and would provide “certainty and stability for the future”.

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