Behind every successful folk club is someone who quietly keeps things moving.

Someone who opens the doors, welcomes newcomers, organises performers, solves problems and somehow finds the energy to do it all again the following month.

For Wallasey Folk & Acoustic Club, that person is Kathy Runswick.

Kathy’s love of folk music started long before she became a club organiser.

Growing up on Merseyside, folk music was part of family life. Influenced by performers such as The Spinners and Jackie & Bridie, she developed an appreciation for songs that tell stories, bring people together and create lasting memories.

Like many people, life eventually took her in different directions. Work, family and everyday responsibilities meant folk music moved into the background for a while.

Then, years later, a chance encounter with a folk festival helped bring it all back.

What began as a family visit soon became a lifelong passion, particularly through her daughter Emma, whose enthusiasm for folk music encouraged the whole family to become more involved in the folk scene.

That journey eventually led Kathy through the doors of a local folk club – and before long, she found herself helping to run one.

Today, Kathy is one of the driving forces behind Wallasey Folk & Acoustic Club.

Like many organisers across the country, she gives her time because she believes folk clubs still have an important role to play.

In an age of streaming services, social media and endless digital entertainment, folk clubs offer something refreshingly different.

Real people.

Real music.

Real conversations.

They provide a place where experienced performers, nervous first-timers and curious listeners can all share the same room and become part of the same community.

As Kathy explains during the podcast, one of the greatest joys is seeing new performers discover what it feels like to sing to an audience that is genuinely listening.

For many people, that experience is becoming increasingly rare.

The conversation doesn’t shy away from the challenges either.

Like many clubs, Wallasey Folk & Acoustic Club has had to adapt following the pandemic. Audience habits changed, venues became more expensive and organisers everywhere found themselves working harder to keep events running.

Yet despite these challenges, Kathy remains optimistic.

She talks about the strength of the local folk community, the importance of supporting one another and the opportunities that still exist to attract new people into the scene.

One theme comes through clearly throughout the discussion:

Folk music survives because people care enough to keep it alive.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking part of the conversation centres on the future.

How do folk clubs attract younger audiences?

How do organisers encourage people to walk through the door for the first time?

How can clubs work together to strengthen the wider folk community?

These are questions Kathy has been thinking about for some time, and they’re questions many organisers across the country are asking too.

While there may not be simple answers, her passion for finding them is impossible to miss.

It’s exactly why we consider Kathy one of our Local Heroes.

Join Brian Jones as he sits down with Kathy Runswick, organiser of Wallasey Folk & Acoustic Club and the first guest in Keep Folk Going – The Organisers series. Kathy reflects on her lifelong connection to folk music, from childhood singarounds and family influences to helping run one of the area’s most welcoming folk clubs. Together they discuss the challenges facing folk clubs today, the importance of community, and how organisers across the region are working to ensure folk music continues to thrive for future generations.