A much-loved village sports club near Hitchin has announced the closure of its bar due to financial difficulties.

Ickleford Sports & Recreation Club (ISRC) confirmed that its clubhouse bar will close from Monday 16 March, with officials saying the venue has struggled to attract the level of support it once enjoyed.

In a message to members and the local community, the club said the decision had been made "with great sadness and a heavy heart" after facing ongoing financial pressures.

A spokesperson said: "Due to financial difficulties, the ISRC club bar will sadly be closing its doors for the foreseeable future. Sadly the club does not get the support it used to."

The club stressed that responsibility for the situation does not lie with any single group, but rather reflects a wider decline in regular use of the facility by both sports members and the wider village community.

Officials said the bar had provided an important income stream for the club and had helped support its wider sporting activities over the years.

They added that major events – such as the club's popular fireworks night – have helped keep the clubhouse running in recent years, but warned that without wider year-round support the bar could not continue operating.

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled for 14 April, when a new committee will be elected and decisions will be taken about the future of the bar and clubhouse.

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The club hopes the meeting will provide an opportunity for members and the community to come together and help shape a sustainable future for the facility.

The spokesperson added: "This is also a community asset for the village, which for many people seems to have been forgotten.

"I hope the new committee takes on the tasks and changes needed to keep the clubhouse and bar thriving. It takes everyone working together – all sections of the club, including youth football – to keep it running for future years.

"They say it takes a village to raise a child. The same goes for a community sports and social club."

ISRC has long been a hub for grassroots sport and social events in Ickleford, supporting football and other activities for both adults and young people in the area.