Treorchy Senior Citizens Club - History                                    

A Brief History of the Club (as understood by present members)

The Treorchy pensioners Club came into being sometime in the late fifties. A building fund was set up by the trusties Jacob Hickerton, Stanley Williams, Brinley Davies, Alfred Trevor Gibbon and Iorwerth Thomas - all residents of Treorchy.

Money was raised with the aid of local businesses and a legacy from a Treorchy spinster, Miss Charlotte Mary Phillips of Bute Street, Treorchy.

The land on which Oak Tree Hall now stands was purchased on 31st October 1960 and the new hall was then built there.

In the sixties, the Pensioners Club thrived . On September 1967 it became a registered Member of the Charity Commission. The objective being:- TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE AGED IN ANY MANNER WHICH IS NOW OR HEREAFTER MAY BE DEEMED BY LAW TO BE CHARITABLE WITHIN THE TOWN OF TREORCHY.

In the late nineties, due to the death of the trustees and lack of new membership, the Club dwindled. Even though the existing members worked hard to keep the hall going, woodworm and dry rot saw it fall into disrepair.

In May 2003 there was talk of the Treorchy Pensioners Club at Oak Tree Hall being disbanded because no one was prepared to take over the positions of the retiring committee.

To save the hall being sold and lost to the Treorchy community, on June 4th 2003, Mrs Beryl Jones, Mrs Pauline Worman and Mrs Anna Brown offered to take over the outgoing committee's duties on a pro temporary basis until new committee members could be found.

In the first General Meeting held on June 26th 2003 a new committee of seven members was formed.

• Mrs Pauline Worman - Chairperson

• Mrs Anna Brown - Secretary

• Mrs Beryl Jones - Treasurer

• Mrs Beryl Row - Vice Chairperson

• Mrs Isobel Sampson - Committee Member

• Mrs Joyce Davies - Committee Member

• Mrs Eira Richards - Committee Member

In June 24th 2004, Councillor Edward Lewis Hancock was co-opted onto the committee.

Due to the hard work of the new committee, help from local councillors and liaison with the Education Department, the year 2004 has seen an upturn in the condition of the hall.

The committee agreed to let the hall to the Education Department whilst repairs were being carried out to the the roof of Treorchy Library. The education office agreed a fee and to carry out some of the work needed at the hall to bring it up to the standard required.

Both the education department and at the same time the hall benefited from this agreement. It solved a problem for the education department and at the same time the hall benefited by being partially renovated and repaired.

* * * * *

The following names are some of the members who attended the club in the 1960's.  Mrs. May "Nation" - Regent Street Mrs Woods - Regent Street Mrs Bessie Puddy - Regent Street Mrs Mary Webb - Tynybedw Street Will & Eleanor Brown - High Street

Mrs Dorothy Morgan - Dyfodwg Street Mrs Blod Evans - Howard Street Mrs Esther Evans - Howard Street Mrs Bella Jones - Bute Street Mrs Sarah Hughes - Bute Street Mrs Annie Merriman - Bute Street

Mrs Dorothy Morris - Cardiff Street Mrs Winnie Beynon - Trefor Street Mrs Vi Green - Ninian Street Mrs Cis Read - Dumfries Street Mrs Eleanor Lewis  - Stuart Street

There are probably loads more members in the 1960's than those listed above. Do send in the names of any others you may know of, to news@treorchy.net 

The present committee would welcome any anecdotes or information about the past Club members in order to compile a factual record of the history of the club.

* * * * *

These web pages are provided and maintained courtesy of Treorchy.net Community Web Site

Contact news@treorchy.net if you would like to promote your organisation within this community web site

© Treorchy.net Community Web Site 2004   www.treorchy.net