Woman hits out at Northampton venue after double-booking their charity event in memory of husband

A woman has hit out at a Northampton working men’s club after double-booking her charity event in memory of her late husband.

Trudy Evans, 47, from Moulton, told the Chronicle & Echo she phoned the Monks Park Working Men’s Club in December 2022 to hire out the space for a charity event in aid of the Mind mental health charity on Saturday, March 4.

When she arrived there with her daughter on Saturday, she was bewildered to find that the venue had been set up for a 30th birthday party.

Trudy told the Chronicle & Echo: “I was in complete shock and had tears in my eyes. So many things were racing through my head.I thought I have all these people coming, I’ve got family on their way from London. Me and my daughter had the balloons sorted and decorations. I was in a panic.”

After speaking with Monks Park staff, Trudy realised that the charity event had been double-booked.

Trudy said that, when she phoned the venue in December, she was asked to forward the charity letter to the venue’s email address, which she did. She then contacted Monks Park WMC’s Facebook account to confirm that she could have the room free of charge. Monks Park WMC responded: “Yes all received and good to go.”

Trudy claims that, when she spoke with a manager on the phone on the day of the charity event, he told her she would have been asked to come in and fill out more paperwork.

Trudy said she was “disgusted” about what had happened.

A spokesman for the Monks Park WMC confirmed there was a phone call in December but claims this was only to ask if the function room was available.

He said the venue does not take bookings over the phone because a contract has to be filled in and signed and every party needs to pay £100 damage cover, which they get back after the event.

Monks Park WMC confirmed the Facebook messages were exchanged but said the page is run by someone off site.

The spokesperson said: “This is unfortunate and the only time it has ever happened and a lesson has now been learned.”

He added: “With regards to the phone call, when I spoke to her she asked if I knew any alternative venues but, when I mentioned a couple, she said ‘forget it, we need to sort somewhere out’ and gave the phone back to a member of staff.

“We would always be happy to accommodate charity functions at our club and, with proof of the charity, will waive room costs, but we were not given the chance to offer. Of course we are sorry for this mix up.”

The charity event did go ahead at The Charles Bradlaugh, which accommodated them at the last minute.

Around 90 people attended the event, where a raffle took place along with other games. Over £1,500 was raised for Mind in memory of Trudy’s husband, who sadly took his life two years ago.

Trudy said: “The event was amazing. I just couldn’t believe we turned it around. I was saying to my daughter, ‘I think dad’s looking over us.’”