Thurston & Ixworth ThurstonAndIxworthFlyer_Apr2019_For_Web | Page 8

The Flyer More Bury St Edmunds than Farmers … There is a hidden gem on Northgate Street in Bury St Edmunds, well-known and much loved by some but probably not historically viewed as accessible to everyone. That is changing. The Bury St Edmunds & Farmers Club had its roots in the farming community when it opened in 1947. In 2019, farmers are in the minority amongst its members and there are three main prongs to what it can offer to the local community. The fi rst is as a venue for weddings, other private functions and business events. With a wedding licence, a garden, parking and various sizes of function rooms oozing with character, it is ideally placed to do this. The Club is proving particularly popular with ‘second time round’ couples who want to have their ceremony and celebrations all in one place, potentially having exclusive use of the venue to accommodate family and friends in a relaxed environment. Secondly, there is a focus on building up its private membership base. The average age of the Club’s membership is in its mid-50s but this is signifi cantly lower than fi ve years ago and the trend is towards signing up younger members, in particular those who live or work in the town centre. There are special deals for under 35s and start-up businesses. As one recent joiner put it: “It doesn’t take long to recognise familiar faces when you walk into the Club and if you go in on your own there’s always someone happy to chat”. Last but not least, there is a drive to build up the business-hub aspect of the Club. This is taking a number of forms, including: increasing the corporate membership; encouraging business members to make other members aware of the services they can offer; and making the Northgate Business Centre accessible 24/7 for its business tenants. Specifi cally for businesses, the club can accommodate networking breakfasts, lunches, afternoon tea or evening events and seminars of various sizes. If you are interested in fi nding out more please pop in to see us, email us on [email protected], call us on 01284 750969 or visit our website on www.bsefc.co.uk Arc shopping centre to carry out 10 Good Deeds for the community in their 10th Year To celebrate their 10th birthday, arc shopping centre is to deliver “10 Good Deeds” to members of the community over the next 10 months… and they need your help! The initiative which launches on Friday 15th March will result in one good deed a month with the last taking place at the end of December. Do you know someone who deserves a good deed? The shopping centre are looking for local schools, clubs, charities, community groups and of course individuals which would benefi t from some support. It could be extra pairs of hands to paint a fence, or much needed funds to repair something to benefi t the community, or something as simple as planting a tree for the future. The local judging panel, made up of key stakeholders in the town, will review all entries and we will carry out a good deed every month, until the end of the year. Abbie Panks, centre manager at arc shopping centre said, “we want to celebrate the community who have helped make arc such as success in its fi rst ten years, so whether it’s an individual who always goes the extra mile, or a group, club or a charity who is making a real difference in your community we want to hear about them” For members of the public wishing to make a nomination, head to the arc shopping centre website and complete the short nomination form. 10 Good Deeds is the second of the arc 10th birthday activities taking place, with more to come throughout the year including Party in the P’arc scheduled for the summer. GARLAND STREET INTERIORS ~ FURNITURE ~ LIGHTING ~ MIRRORS ~ SOFT FURNISHINGS ~ ACCESSORIES ~ www.garlandstreetinteriors.co.uk 5 Garland Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1EZ 01284 765 942 [email protected] 8 TH E FLYER | A PR IL 2019 Pl ease menti on ‘The Fl yer’ when respondi ng to adv e rti s e me nts