AN iconic village club has received a £10,000 grant to help maintain it as a vital community asset.

Dobcross Band and Social Club was awarded the grant by the Big Lottery Fund which has enabled it to complete the transformation of the outside of the building on Woods Lane.

Essential cladding to the front and north side of the single storey building has been replaced and sound proofing materials have been installed into the fabric.

In the application to the National Lottery, Terry Lawless, the club’s president, wrote: “This building is effectively the Village Hall, recreation, learning, exercise, fundraising, celebrations and a venue in which a total of four full brass bands rehearse on a weekly basis.

“Having been in the same location for 120 years, the Band Club is steeped in tradition and is both literally and figuratively at the heart of the community.

“If this project does not go ahead the likelihood is part or all of the building may need to close, in the short term at least.

“The effect of this building closing would be far reaching and would have a detrimental effect on the entire community.”

The club is used every day, 52 weeks of the year. Over the last three years use of the facilities has increased and the elected volunteer committee is constantly looking for potential new users and uses for the venue.

“However, the current building is 60 years old, partly pre-fabricated, and time has started taking its toll,” he explained.

“Following on from ongoing renovation works over the last three years a section of the wall on the south side of the building was replaced.

“It now transpires there are large areas of the walls on the front and north sides have rotted away and need to be replaced.

“A further survey has revealed serious damage to the fabric of the wall, requiring new timber frames, insulation and cladding.

“The company that replaced the damage on the south of the building have drawn up a full specification for the job and provided a quote of £19,500 to replace and improve the damaged areas.

“The project is another step in our bid to ensure the sustainability of the building as a community asset, enabling ongoing plans to increase the number of people using the facility and the range of activities.”

Use of the building has steadily increased from 10,000 in 2015 to more than 14,000 in 2017 with further potential to increase footfall.

The club operates as a community enterprise, with any surplus being used to maintain, and improve the building and facilities.

Current use of the facilities extends primarily to residents in the local area, but is regularly used by people from the wider Oldham area.

He added: “The works can be split into two phases, but we’ll probably do it as a single project and fund the rest with existing funds.”