The Subs were created in 1833 by local residents and have remained the focal point of Stroud’s community ever since. It is referred to as ‘the beating heart of Stroud.’
From grand balls, taking in refugees during WW2, the proclamation of King George, to the arrival of Rock ‘n’ Roll and bringing joy during Covid, the Subs has played a vital part in Stroud’s history and wellbeing.
The Sub Rooms was relaunched as a charity in 2018 and now delivers a wide programme of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, exhibitions and workshops alongside events and classes led by the community, with a bar and relaxed café that allows people to share a space with each other. It has also become an important provider of work, skills and development opportunities.
We programme to ensure interest and accessibility for everyone in our community whether as audience members, performers, or those looking to develop skills and careers.
We work with our local food and community hubs, voluntary organisations, the local Council and social prescribing to reach those who might not otherwise engage with us, which has led to the creation of our Tickets for All scheme as well as open access events such as our monthly jams.
We have a particular interest in young people too, and host school visits and offer training and work experience to colleges, especially those with disabilities and mental health issues.
Our reach is across all of Gloucestershire, but we also bring visitors in from surrounding counties as well as across the UK and are therefore fundamental to the local economy. We recently won the SoGlos award for best entertainment venue of the year “the Judges stand-out favourite...a venue which has been through a process of complete reinvention and is once again at the heart of the town it proudly serves.”
The Stroud Subscription Rooms Trust was established in 2018 to take over the day to day running of the charity. Yet only a year in, Covid struck. On opening, we were faced with a cost-of-living crisis. The result was that we used all our financial reserves in order to survive this. Because of this we have not had the available funds to buy a new boiler system, but have thad o rely on temporary patching up work and paying maintenance costs as they arise, which have amounted to around £ 10,000 so far.
Not only will a new heating system get us through the colder months but it will also reduce our environmental footprint and our running costs.
