I think that Fatjoff has captured the central issue:
I am one of the youngest members, and I'm still in my fifties. The majority are in their 70s or older. We have a few younger members, courtesy of RAF Leeming's successful drive to recruit serving members, but we very rarely see them in the club. There is a very good reason for this. Speaking only about my branch, it has become almost a personal drinking club for the committee. it is old-fashioned, serves one keg beer, and to be frank, isn't always the most welcoming of environments. It’s not the sort of place where the young ones want to go on a Saturday night. I have tried to change that
However it is not confined to RAFA or RBL clubs. The whole of the private club sector has been in decline for many years. The Workingmens Clubs, Miners Welfare, Works Institute or factory social club have been disappearing quite rapidly. All catered for an older age group and were reluctant to change their product. Cheap beer is no longer the draw it was when the competition is Wetherspoons. you can watch Premier League at home with a case of Stella from Tesco, no need to go to a run down pub to see it. Management has been a major issue in a lot of cases.
Industrial related clubs that were run by companies were mainly sold off to their members who then carried on as if nothing had changed. But what had changed was to deductions for "the social" were no longer being made by the company and the reserves were no longer being replenished. Some of them burned through cash at an alarming rate abetted by committees that didn't understand that "non-profit making" is not the same as "not making a profit". Nothing was put aside for investment or the "rainy day".
Of late many of the surviving clubs have become the target for speculators; certainly those that are asset rich (property and land) but cash poor. A "friendly" business offers to help and provides much needed capital, but when the returns fail to materialise it is with "much regret" that they have to foreclose and take possession of the property.
The problem that RAFA has is to reinvent itself and it is a big problem. RBL faces much the same problem with respect to its branches but has the advantage of a much stronger "brand" in its Poppy logo. Whilst some may criticise some of the newer service charities such as Help for Heroes you cannot criticise how they have projected themselves. The apparent simplicity of its offering and the stretcher bearer image was inspired.
So whither RAFA? I have no answers other that it is probably a waste of effort to try and save struggling clubs. RBL have tried this and it met with very limited success. If pushed I would suggest that RAFA's future lies in local charitable help and practical assistance.
YS