THE seal looks to have been set on the closure of a well-used social club for people recovering from mental illness.

At a meeting of the charity Action in Mental Health last week, it was announced that its Spanners club, at St John's Church Hall, Church Lane, Loughton would have to close on July 2.

The charity has said it no longer has the funding to run the club, which hosts activities and days out for people with mental health issues, as grants from Essex County Council and the NHS had been stopped.

Spanners' user Jim Marchant, 44, of Lancaster Drive, Loughton, who attended the meeting, said: “It's absolutely dreadful. They want to get rid of any clubs or gatherings. These are essential if you've got mental health problems.

“I know people who are severely mentally unwell. You want to meet in a friendly environment and we've got that at St John's. These people will end up in hospital and that'll cost the tax payer more money.

“This club has helped many, many people here. It's helped me enormously. Nothing is perfect of course, but if this goes there's nothing for these people to do. A lot of these people have had problems with alcohol. They're just going to go from pub to pub.”

Mr Marchant said he was still hopeful a new sponsor might come forward at the last minute to save the club which meets every Wednesday and Friday.

Action in Mental Health has said the club could carry on as a self-run outfit, but users have said that might be too difficult to organise.

William Long, 70, of Lushes Road, Loughton, whose son Michael attends Spanners, said: “It can only run to a fashion. It won't be the organised thing it is.

“They're just going to be out on the streets. It's appalling. That was their last resort, there's nowhere else left.

“It was a very well run place and now it's going to leave an enormous hole. They used to organise trips out and days at the seaside. That can't be done by themselves.”

AIM's charity manager Derek Farr said: “We have funding until the beginning of July. We are searching for more sponsors. We are talking to the Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief but it's not easy and there's a chance we won't find funding before July when we will have to shut after 12 years of service.

“We have been getting more and more referrals and our service is critical. Mental health issues are a very common thing but they're something a lot of people aren't aware of. It's a real concern what will happen to these people when we are not there.”