About The Purbeck Gateway Club

The club began in the Autumn of 1980, and it is a social club for adults with learning difficulties. Some of our members also have physical disabilities. We have about thirty members ranging in age from 18-70, and about fifteen carers and helpers. On a typical club night about 25 members attend, and we enjoy a wide range of social activities including: pool, table tennis, a craft table, music and dancing, and everyone’s favourite – the weekly raffle. Our members come from as far afield as Upton, Bere Regis, Swanage and all points between.

The Club meets for 2 hours each Thursday at 6.45pm in the Purbeck Youth and Community Centre in Wareham. Once or twice each year, we go on a full day’s outing. In recent years we have been to: Weymouth Sealife centre, Monkey World and on the Swanage railway.

In addition to the full day outings which cost about £600 each, we hold other events such as: visits by entertainers, skittles at a local pub, fish and chip evenings and an unforgettable Christmas party. Every year each of our members also receives a birthday and Christmas present, and an Easter egg. We only charge a fee of £2 a week to cover the rent of the youth centre. All our trips and events are free to our members.

The club is entirely self-financing, and we have managed to survive for the last 42 years thanks to the generosity of local people, organisations and firms, and through fund-raising events organised by our own helpers. We thank them all for their support

If you would like to join the club, or to help on club nights, either as a driver or to help with activities, or if you would like to contribute to our funds, please contact Lew on Wareham 01929 552 173.