WODONGA RSL Club has spent $150,000 on a major renovation its president proudly says will stop the building looking “like a lost neighbour”.
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The club has now embarked on a project to let as many people in the community know about what it has to offer.
Kevyn Williams said the club was extremely proud of what it had achieved, given it chipped in about $70,000 to the project.
“We were probably forced into looking at the whole concept of the place now that they’ve built the Huon Hill Hotel across the road,” he said.
“We’ve cement rendered the whole facade of the built and built a covered area for meals and entertainment, which cost us quite a bit of money.”
The club has also replaced all its old furniture.
The balance of the project cost was paid for from various government and other grants.
“What we’re trying to do now is inform the general public that we’re not an exclusive club,” Mr Williams said.
“We emphasise that it’s a family friendly club and we’re really moving forward.”
Mr Williams said a big plus was the fact there were no poker machines “to interrupt the conversation”.
The first big test of the new-look club will come on Wednesday night when it hosts about 100 people for a Wodonga Chamber of Commerce meeting, one of four it holds each year.
Mr Williams said the club had also recruited chef Lee Botting, who had been running a couple of restaurants on Lygon Street in Carlton.
“He’s got some great ideas. And we’ve spent about $50,000 in the kitchen with new stoves, range hoods and all stainless steel serveries,” he said.
But while the club is keen to get more people through the doors, it will retain its special focus on war veterans.
“It’s somewhere for them to meet and greet, it always has been,” he said.
“The RSL’s charter is looking after serving and ex-service members in the community and allowing them to use the place to have a drink.”
Mr Williams said that was not only for a beer, but often simply sharing a cup of tea or coffee.
“A lot of people who are suffering through service-related injuries come in seeking assistance,” he said.
“We spend about $50,000 a year on supporting people in need through our networking system.”
A lot of that money was raised through Anzac Day and Remembrance Day events.
“We are very proud of what we’ve got here now,” he said.
“That’s especially when you think of where we came from with a just a couple of Army huts back in the ’60s.”
