Who will save our thrift clubs?

Mont Félard landlady Sue Egan (right) and some of the pub’s regulars Picture: TONY PIKE (00893143)

THE days of the traditional pub thrift club could be over.
The Royal Bank of Scotland International is refusing to manage the savings accounts any more because it involves ‘too much administration’. And it is likely that other banks will follow.
The news has outraged pub landlords, who say that ending the tradition would tear ‘the heart and soul’ out of Island pubs. Thrift clubs are deep-rooted in Jersey’s pub culture and have been running for decades.
John Barker, who has spent the last 24 years as landlord of the Royal, St Martin. and been a pub landlord for 39 years, has always run a thrift club.
‘It generates a good atmosphere in the pub and brings people together,’ he said. ‘To lose the thrift club would tear the heart out of the pub and the community. We live in a small community in Jersey and have to be careful we don’t lose that community spirit.’ (from JEP)

Nice to know the banks support thier local customers....

whats a thrift club?

plimmerton811 wrote:whats a thrift club?

It is where people put aside a certain amount of money each week for Christmas - my Gran used to do it - but can't much see the point of it now - under the mattress would be safer by far!!!

It is a way of giving an unsecured, interest-free loan to a pub landlord.

Remember when the Hangman's landlady nicked all the thrift club money?

Hardly the most secure way to save!!

An outmoded form of saving ,regretably.Gone the way of the Xmas hamper schemes/scams!

Spirit wrote:It is a way of giving an unsecured, interest-free loan to a pub landlord.

Tut tut synical Spirit. Now I understand what they are on about. Must be hell in Jsy if this is the hubb of the community, thank God I was born a Guernseyman, we only worry about hedge veg stalls.

What is stopping the land lord continuing with the scheme and keeping a M/soft Money (or just a notebook with a page entry per scheme member) account of credits and debits maintaining a running total. All the funds can be put into a bank account named Thift with 2 signatories to lessen the chance of a theft. A bit of work but it will maintain that commun ity spirit.