THE Hush Club has thanked residents for their support after it held its final event at Cafe Riva during the Bournemouth Airshow.

After holding its last event on the cliff top above Fisherman's Walk beach, Southbourne, on August 30, owners Simon Kilminster and Emily Howe, felt they achieved their goals of creating an inclusive event. 

Emily said: "We set out with a clear mission, to create an inclusive free community event, a safe space, an environment where it didn’t matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, wage.

"Everyone is welcome as long as they are kind and respectful to each other. In a world that continually attempts to divide us, it is vital that we create opportunities to come together in solidarity.

The show of support from everyone that signed the petition and the number of people that joined us at Cafe Riva for the Air Show was incredible."

Both Hush Club and Cafe Riva claimed that they had been forced to end the event after BCP Council made the decision to discontinue it.

The council has denied this and said that "Any decision to discontinue The Hush Club at Café Riva was made by the business and not by the council.”

The news of the event's closure had received outcries from residents and drew the attention of Bournemouth East MP, Tom Hayes.

Emily said: "The community around the Hush Club embraced the ethos of love and respect to a level we had only dreamt of, and we hope that moving forward, it has proved that this kind of event is not only appreciated by the local area, but that it embodies the very character of the incredibly special and diverse community that lives there.

"Support from the local MP and councillors has given us hope that there is at least scope for discussions on how the event can return next year."

Hush Club will continue to hold events elsewhere including O2 Academy in Boscombe for Haloween Under the Sea Ball on October 31 and for the Christchurch Xmas Lights Turn On on November 23.