Committee members of a struggling social club will meet tonight to discuss how a crunch Christmas period went, and try to devise a brighter future for the venue.

Spixworth Social Club has served as a popular destination for generations of villagers since it opened in 1976, but a significant drop in earnings had left the future of the club hanging in the balance.

There were real doubts as to whether the Crostwick Lane venue would survive for its 40th anniversary last year, but it did and things have been starting to look a bit better in recent weeks. Neil Hastings, the club's chairman, said he and other committee members would be discussing how Christmas and New Year went at tonight's meeting, but was feeling a bit more positive about the future.

He said: 'We're still trading. I was prepared for the worst...if you'd have asked me two or three months ago I would've said I doubt we'd have been open. We're by no means out of the woods yet, but we're hanging on.'

Mr Hastings is aiming to attract new members to the club, which is currently looking to recruit bar staff, but also said it was vital that existing members renewed their memberships to allow the club to continue to keep its doors open.

He said: 'We've just got to hope that everyone rejoins. I don't want people to think we won't bother because the club won't be open.'

If you are interested in joining the club or working behind the bar, call 01603 890864 or visit www.spixworthsocialclub.co.uk