'It's our human right to smoke'

By Tom Warren
BBC News, in Birmingham

The club has been running for more than 100 years

Takings at Stechford Working Men's Club have slumped by £20,000 since the smoking ban came into force.

Just before July last year members at the long-established Birmingham club began working hard to improve the venue to try to retain trade from smokers.

They painted the walls, laid new carpets and installed a partially covered smoking shelter equipped with heaters.

But since new smoking laws came into force across England, smokers have deserted the club in droves, preferring to light up at home.

'Desperate' situation

Treasurer Ray Guest, who has been a member for 23 years, said nothing had prepared the club for the huge drop in trade which he blames directly on the ban.

"It's desperate, it's hit us big time," he said. "I would say we're about £20,000 down on takings over the year.

Ray Guest and Charles Andrews have been members for a total of 55 years

"We would probably have 30 to 40 people in most nights [before the ban], now we're lucky to get 15 or 20."

Games including bingo, snooker, darts and dominoes are played most nights at the 102-year-old venue, which also hosts music and entertainment on Friday evenings.

But fewer people are taking part in the sports, put off by the prospect of interrupting matches to step outside for a cigarette, Mr Guest said.

And many smokers are taking advantage of cheap alcohol from supermarkets and choosing to stay at home, he believes.

"We weren't expecting it to be so drastic. We've spent a lot of money on our club over the last 12 months to attract people, but it hasn't worked."

At the moment we're keeping our head above water, but it's only through sheer grit and determination Charles Andrews, member

"[The government] picked the right time to [bring in the ban) in the summer. In the winter people started to drift away from the club and they haven't come back."

He does not think the credit crunch is to blame for the slump.

"I think we will survive but not flourish," said the 59-year-old, who runs his own removal business.

Four bar staff who left have not been replaced, while the cleaner's hours have also been cut to save money.

Charles Andrews, 66, is a smoker who still visits the club most nights.

There has been a slump in people playing dominoes, bingo and snooker

But the committee member, who has been going for 32 years, said he thought the law should be changed to secure the future of working men's clubs.

"I think it's our God given rights, it's our human rights.

"We get visiting dominoes clubs coming down here and if a bloke wants to smoke he can't because he has to wait until the match has finished - about two hours.

"We are getting less joining the domino team for that reason.

"At the moment we're keeping our head above water, but it's only through sheer grit and determination."

Many clubs across England have suffered similar problems over the last year, according to the Working Men's Club and Institute Union (CIU).

Kevin Smyth, the general secretary, said 41 had closed in the last 12 months.

Since September he has had repeated calls from concerned clubs, some of whom said their takings had "fallen off a cliff".

He said up to 70% had reported a serious drop in business with the smoking ban a key factor, as many people refuse to stand outside in bad weather.