Just months ago, Saltwell Social Club was a struggling business, but it has been given a new lease of life
18:00, 06 Apr 2026
Saltwell Social Club, which has been transformed into a vibrant hub of community through new ownership and investment(Image: Saltwell Social Club)
A social club in Gateshead has been transformed into a vibrant hub for the community, just months on from a major period of difficulty. Then, Saltwell Social Club was struggling to stay afloat financially, but the business has been given a new lease of life thanks to new ownership and investment.
The venue on Saltwell Road has housed a social club for well over 100 years, but this was at risk in the summer of 2025 when Lawrence O’Halleron, who had been a long-time patron of the club, stepped in. The 74-year-old, who is also heavily involved with Gateshead FC, took it upon himself to find a way out for the club.
Lawrence, who is from Bensham, and has lived in Gateshead throughout his married life, said: “The social club started as a pigeon club in the 1800s, and there is a plaque showing the members who died during World War One, so it has a lot of history. However, there is very little here now, and it was in a very bad place.
“When I was young, we’d always go there on the weekends, and I remember it had a fantastic concert room upstairs, where ACDC’s Brian Johnson played with his band Geordie. It had gotten to the point where there was nobody going, and debt had majorly ran up over recent years.
“There was a meeting, and I stepped up and suggested a few options, including making it into a charity as I have worked with similar organisations. We had a big turn out and I thought, ‘I need to do something about this’, so I said “give me a week and I’ll find someone to buy the club”, but it didn’t take anywhere near that long.”
Through his involvement with the football club, Lawrence knew both Mark Nellis and Craig Whitehouse, so he contacted the two businessmen about the prospect of buying the club. Very quickly, they both replied with a resounding yes, but only if Lawrence became the chairman to work alongside the.
He continued: “Mark and Craig really don’t get the credit that they deserve for the work they do in the community, and this is another great example of that. The amount of positives changes that they have made since taking over has been astounding, and it is now already feels like a much better place.”
The trio got to work straight away, bringing in new CCTV, a new till system, and a new safe to sort out the club’s financial issues first and foremost. The cellars were refurbished, a new alarm system installed, and a deal was struck with a brewery, which helped pay for Sky and TNT Sport, with card machines also brought in, modernising the venue tenfold.
The bar area is now a sports bar, with Gateshead FC and Newcastle United shirts and memorabilia helping to give it a new feel. There are modern pool tables and a darts board, and Lawrence also shared that a lot of work is still ongoing to renew the venue further.
He also said: “We are now busy with the concert room, and are looking at having a big opening event there in May, which is very exciting. The lads have never stopped, and there is still a lot to do, including sorting the flats upstairs, which we want to make into shared accommodation, maybe for Gateshead players.
“We are getting lots more members which is great to see, and had a great turnout for the derby recently which I think shows just how much of a difference the hard work has made. It is great to be able to offer a much better place to go for a night out to the community, and we are looking forward to the future.”
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