Working men's club

Working men's clubs are a type of private social club first created in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands, Scotland and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families. They also began at this time in Australia, with a small number in Ireland, primarily Dublin.

Despite the educational ambitions, most working men's clubs are recreational. Typically, a club would have a room, often referred to (especially in Northern England) as a vault with a bar for the sale and consumption of alcohol, snooker, pool or bar billiards tables, as well as televisions for sport entertainment; many provide food. A much larger room would be connected, often called the concert or entertainment room with a stage and a layout of tables, stools and backrest sofas. They often provide night time entertainment, mainly on the weekends such as bingo, raffles, live music cabaret and comedy, playing popular music. They are also known for their charitable works.

In recent years, declining membership has seen many clubs close down and others struggle to remain open. Some groups try to raise the profile of clubs, pointing to their historical legacies and their community roles.

Meanwhile, the 19th and early 20th century educational ambitions of working men's clubs have now returned in new organisations such as the men's shed movement that started in Australasia and has spread to Europe and appeals to much the same community as working men's clubs. Similarly the growing hackerspace movement appeals mostly to younger working men and women, who forty years ago would have worked on their interests in their garden shed or garage and then met others of like mind at their local working men's club. However, with the rise in housing costs few younger people have access to such spaces, instead were being forced to use public spaces such as cafes prior to the introduction of shared facilities such as hackerspaces and men's sheds.

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