WELLINGTON Conservative Club is in much better shape than it has been for several years despite dire warnings 12 months ago that it would be closed by Christmas. 

Members were told at the club’s well-attended annual meeting that finances in the past year as it came out of the Covid pandemic had been good and the coming year looked even better. 

They heard the club was now in the healthiest state it had experienced for at least five years. 

The glowing health check came just eight months after then-chairman Sam Berg resigned to ‘diffuse’ a row over his attempt to cut the club’s links with the Conservative party. 

Mr Berg told the Wellington Weekly at the time that the club was facing a financial ‘timebomb’ exactly a year after it had previously avoided closure. 

His resignation, and that of other committee members at the time, came days before an extraordinary meeting of members was due to be held to vote on whether to stop being a ‘Conservative’ club and instead become a ‘social’ club. 

The move had to be dropped when legal action was threatened by the Association of Conservative Clubs, without whose permission changes to the constitution could not be made. 

Club secretary Jane Pearce said: “We are pleased to report that we had a much better year during 2022 as the club recovered from the effects of the pandemic. 

“The year saw a welcome increase in its membership, the recruitment of new permanent club stewards, and the introduction of a number of new and interesting events for our members. 

“We are looking forward to another good year and are always happy to welcome new members. Please contact us to find out more.”