COOMBS Wood Sports and Social Club has been officially presented with a runner-up award as part of CAMRA West Midlands’ club of the year contest.

It’s the third time this year that the Halesowen club has been recognised by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Presenting the award on Thursday November 14, Tony Morgan, secretary of the Stourbridge and Halesowen branch of CAMRA, said the club had done extremely well to scoop the runner-up award for the region, which is not only recognition for the club but also bar manager and her team and the club’s members and customers.

Bar manager Dawn Bubb said “This is biggest achievement and highest honour I have personally won, since we won the West Midlands Regional award in 2019. I’d like to thank CAMRA and all the team that help me, along with all the customers of the club that have supported me.”

Earlier in the year, Coombs Wood Sports and Social Club was awarded the 2024 club of the year award by the Stourbridge and Halesowen CAMRA branch. It then went forward to be considered against four other clubs in the West Midlands and, after another round of judging, beat all of its opponents.

The club then went forward to be considered for CAMRA’s regional club of the year award. It was awarded the runner-up prize, with the Firs Club in Codsall winning the regional final.

Bar manager, Dawn Bubb, has been in the licensed trade since she was 16.

Previously, she looked after the Clent Club, before moving to the Holly Bush pub in Stourport and later to the Swan in Long Lane, Halesowen.

She’s been in charge of the Coombs Wood Sports & Social Club bar since 2021, where seven ever-changing cask ales are usually available. The club holds regular live music nights and there’s also a popular winter beer festival in January.

The club has around 800 members, with cricket, bowls, football, darts and crib teams, and welcomes non-members.

It began life in 1921 as the Coombswood Cricket Club, previously the Stewarts & Lloyds Cricket Club, in Coombs Road. The original site was later redeveloped with new housing and a new clubhouse and grounds were provided off Stewarts Road, Halesowen.