Staff redundancies at ‘struggling’ Seven Dials Club

Published: 02 July 2010
by JOSH LOEB

STAFF have been cut from a “struggling” community club just months after it opened amid fears for its future.

The Seven Dials Club in Earlham Street, Covent Garden, is owned by charitable company the Covent Garden Community Centre.

It relies on footfall through its doors and corporate bookings of function rooms to cover running costs but its board members last week warned that not enough people were using it, saying they had been forced to “step in to stop the bleeding”.

Jessica Skippon, one of the four volunteer directors who oversee the running of the club, said: “We have made two staff redundant. 

“Some of our staff are very excited about the reorganisation and we are holding meetings to clarify what is happening. 

“Some people thought the club was going to close or that there would be more redundancies but that is not the case.”

She added: “We’ve got to step in to stop the bleeding before it gets serious. 

“Our rent is low enough that we should not be strug­gling. We feel that we are struggling at the moment.”

Established in the 1970s, the Seven Dials Club reopened last year after receiving start-up money from the National Lottery Fund, the West Central Forum and Camden and Westminster councils. It had previously been closed following a fire in  1999.

Frances Richter, who lives in the Peabody estate in nearby Wild Street and regularly uses the club, described it as “an absolute godsend for the community”.

Its manager Mark Plant left the post last Wednesday. 

He said he did not object to the reorganisation but was “disgusted” by having been given such short notice.

The club’s directors say they are now seeking to build up membership and secure more meeting room bookings from large companies. 

They said it was possible that the staff who have been made redundant may be invited to return on a seasonal basis as the club is busier in winter than in summer.