A POPULAR Burnham-on-Sea social club opened its doors to show off its new lounge after a £10,000 refurbishment project.

The new Gatsby lounge at the Ritz Social Club was opened by cllr Michael Clarke, Mayor of Burnham and his wife, cllr Maria Clarke, Mayoress of Burnham on April 15 after a seven week renovation project.

Paul Hale, chairman of the Ritz Social Club, said the club had already had a dozen bookings which was a great start.

He added: “We are really pleased with how the renovation has gone and we have already had half a dozen bookings for private functions since we unveiled the new lounge on Saturday which is a great start.

“The new lounge has been fitted with a new floor, a new bespoke bar, a new flat screen television, new tables and chairs and newly painted walls which give it a much fresher look and makes it more appealing to visitors.

“It is already a much brighter and nicer space and we are grateful for the support we have had in getting the lounge ready for customers.”

The £10,000 project was funded by the social club and the new lounge will be used for private bookings as well as hosting live music and entertainment events for its members.

Mr Hale added: “We all helped to build the bespoke bar and Dave Skinner gave so much time and attention to the project, working all hours to make sure it was completed on time so a huge thank you to him and to everyone who helped out.

“The new lounge is a much nicer space that we can use for functions, business meetings and a place that our members can sit down and enjoy a beer or a cup of coffee in a nice atmosphere.

“We have had a really good season at the social club and had a good amount of residual money left over to make this renovation possible.

“We have already had such a positive response from members and residents since it opened over the weekend and it makes the project much more worthwhile.

“At the launch on Saturday it was great to see so many people there and responding well to the changes we have made as it has been a lot of hard work.

“We are feeling very positive about the future and hope the new lounge continues to be successful.”

For more information visit sites.google.com/site/theritzsocialclub