TWO community facilities are telling residents to ‘use it or lose it’ after “struggling” in recent months.

Twyford Social Club and Waltham Chase Post Office are both facing financial difficulty, and are urging locals to use their businesses before it is too late.

The social club in Queen Street is now closed on a Sunday and Monday to see if staff wages will be reduced to an affordable level, and if that fails, it will close for good.

Staff at the post office are asking for 150 people to use the shop daily and spend around £5 each, and say this will be enough revenue to keep the store open.

A spokesperson from Twyford Social Club said: “Despite the improvements to the decor supported by a generous injection of money from the Twyford Community Project (TCP), loans and free labour from members, the social club is in a dire financial situation.

“There are rooms available for rental but there is not enough take-up to make ends meet and pay the wages of a caretaker and bar staff.

“It is difficult to find out honestly why more don’t use the venue. The committee really don’t want this space to be lost to the village but the building cannot be run without income.”

Members of the club are now asking people to complete a survey to understand why the custom has fallen.

This can be accessed online at: https://marketmeasures.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVoMLOPvPHrqLT7.

A spokesperson from Waltham Chase Post Office said: “Back in 2011, we took over the village shop and post office and we’ve invested a lot of time, effort and money to keep it going.

“We have worked extremely hard to make a success for our little village store.

“We have been lucky enough to live amongst you, make new friends, and we are very grateful for your loyalty and continued support.

“Like all businesses, we survive on your custom, and to secure our future in the village, we need to increase our turnover.

“If only 150 customers – we serve approximately 175 to 200 daily – could spend just £5 each day this would do it.”