The Tuesday Club
The Tuesday Club is a lively club for adults with learning difficulties. It has been running for more than 50 years (initially it was known as a club for Mencap). There is least one member who has been coming since it started, whereas the leader (Dave Evans) has been involved for almost 50 years.
Activities at the club include playing pool, dominoes and bingo; doing jigsaws or drawing ; having a cup of tea and a good chat and a laugh. Apart from the weekly club itself, there are occasional outings and trips, not forgetting frequent birthday celebrations of members at the club.
The club is run under the auspices of Beasley Back Dane, and has no paid staff, just volunteers. Therefore everyone who attends the club is there because they want to be. The club is not strictly for adults with learning difficulties; as family and friends are welcome to come too and enter into the communal atmosphere. In many cases they too have disadvantaged backgrounds and appreciate the environment. This means that there are no obvious 'them and us' distinctions. Several of those who attend the club never have the opportunity to travel further afield than Derby except on our trips.
We have no great pretensions (or training) for educating people in social or practical skills; it is merely somewhere friendly, free and fun to go, where they do not have to worry about being made fun of or persecuted by unkind people and tricksters (a daily occurrence in many of their neighbourhoods). Nonetheless many of the members do assist by helping to set up activities, tidy up afterwards, make the tea and wash up. These are activities that many of them are not normally trusted to do elsewhere, consequently they derive a great deal of satisfaction in being allowed to do so at our club.
The Watson Rooms, St Augustine’s Church in Derby has been home to club for the last 30 years. We are grateful to St Augustine’s for accommodating us for all that time.
Presently just under 30 people attend the club each week, of which approximately half include clients and support staff from Lifeways (formerly Oaklands Community Care). This number is about the limit logistically for the amenities of the premises. We endeavour to take a number of those who live totally independently back to their homes afterwards (they all make their own way to the club).
We do, of course, always welcome any additional volunteers who may wish to come along to meet our members and enjoy an evening in their company.
Dave Evans (Leader)
Activities at the club include playing pool, dominoes and bingo; doing jigsaws or drawing ; having a cup of tea and a good chat and a laugh. Apart from the weekly club itself, there are occasional outings and trips, not forgetting frequent birthday celebrations of members at the club.
The club is run under the auspices of Beasley Back Dane, and has no paid staff, just volunteers. Therefore everyone who attends the club is there because they want to be. The club is not strictly for adults with learning difficulties; as family and friends are welcome to come too and enter into the communal atmosphere. In many cases they too have disadvantaged backgrounds and appreciate the environment. This means that there are no obvious 'them and us' distinctions. Several of those who attend the club never have the opportunity to travel further afield than Derby except on our trips.
We have no great pretensions (or training) for educating people in social or practical skills; it is merely somewhere friendly, free and fun to go, where they do not have to worry about being made fun of or persecuted by unkind people and tricksters (a daily occurrence in many of their neighbourhoods). Nonetheless many of the members do assist by helping to set up activities, tidy up afterwards, make the tea and wash up. These are activities that many of them are not normally trusted to do elsewhere, consequently they derive a great deal of satisfaction in being allowed to do so at our club.
The Watson Rooms, St Augustine’s Church in Derby has been home to club for the last 30 years. We are grateful to St Augustine’s for accommodating us for all that time.
Presently just under 30 people attend the club each week, of which approximately half include clients and support staff from Lifeways (formerly Oaklands Community Care). This number is about the limit logistically for the amenities of the premises. We endeavour to take a number of those who live totally independently back to their homes afterwards (they all make their own way to the club).
We do, of course, always welcome any additional volunteers who may wish to come along to meet our members and enjoy an evening in their company.
Dave Evans (Leader)