East Beds Model Railway Society launches urgent appeal to find new venue as it fears closure

A model railway society from Sandy that has been running for 60 years is launching an urgent appeal to find a new venue as it fears closure.

The East Bedfordshire Model Railway Society (EBMRS) is hoping that a person or organisation in Chronicle Country can provide a room – or space to place a temporary building – as it will have to fully vacate its current base at The Roundabout Club by mid-March next year.

The Roundabout Club is planning to refurbish its first floor, where the railway enthusiasts are based, and the society members are asking for help as a 40-year era comes to an end.

Alan Cooper, chairman, said: “We’re distraught. The club has been going for some time and quite a number of us have been members in excess of 30 years.

“Please help us if you can. We’ve been writing to farms, museums, trying to find a usable space.

“The Roundabout Club has been a good host to us for 40 years, and we’ve had a good relationship with them. The Club are doing what they are doing for themselves, that’s their business. At the end of the day we don’t have any gripes about that.”

The Roundabout Club is building a store room for the club to use until it is able to find a new venue.

A club spokesman said: “Sadly due to the pandemic we have had to source other ways of surviving as a business ourselves.

“We will continue to work with the railway club to assist them to find new premises.”

The community grant awarded to The Roundabout Club by Central Beds Council will help build a small extension to house a lift, which allows access for all to the first floor.

This will enable it to provide the community with multiple uses for its newly refurbished room, including a function room, coffee bar, food outlet and also to be available for a number of community groups.

The EBMRS added that it was grateful for the club’s ongoing support.

It added: “We still view it as a great and unfortunate irony that The Roundabout Club is benefitting from a Community Grant to support its redevelopment, whilst our long-standing community-supporting club is faced with its potential demise.

“If anyone can help us, we’d love to hear from them.”

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokeswoman, said: "We understand the East Bedfordshire Model Railway Society (EBMRS) are now unable to use the space they rented in the building.

"The council has been in contact with EBMRS to help them find alternative premises as well as providing details for the help available through the Community Voluntary Service (CVS). We have offered to set up a meeting to explore possible options for a solution, ideally, being able to use the space again once the building work for the project is completed."

The EBMRS has exhibited its layouts across Europe and the UK, including Alexandra Palace and the NEC, while it holds a special place in the heart of Biggleswade, with thousands attending its annual exhibition at Stratton Upper School over the years.

> If you can help, you can contact the society via email to info@ebmrs.org.uk or John Wakeman, secretary, at secretary@ebmrs.org.uk