With reference to the crisis now threatening the leisure facilities for retired people in Sandwell, ie the Sons of Rest movement, as from November 1, the Labour-controlled council is due to close down three Sons of Rest clubs in the borough, and the other four are being made to pay their way from there on, or they will be closed down.

All of this is to save on expenditure. 

These are old aged pensioners’ clubs, and the majority of members are ex-servicemen who fought in defence of this country in the First and Second World Wars and have never had to worry about the running cost before. All of our members – many of them Labour voters – are extremely upset and very worried about all of this, and it has made some of them quite ill with worry. 

But it definitely will happen unless you someone can step in and help, as our four MPs in Sandwell do not seem to be very interested in this very urgent and critical matter. There is no question whatsoever of our clubs ever being able to pay their own running costs. If the implementation does go ahead on November 1, the seven clubs will definitely have to close, with catastrophic consequences.

Tony Mallam, Sandwell Leisure Facilities for Retired People.