Just last year, the iconic Salford Lads Club was saved from closure by an influx of donations from both the public and famous names in music and beyond, given its cultural history thanks to The Smiths being photographed in front of it in the 1980s. Now, what is Salford Lads and Girls Club has been awarded just shy of £438,000 in funding by Historic England towards the Club’s necessary repairs and restoration works, securing its future for the next 100 years.
In a post on social media, Salford Lads and Girls Club wrote: “@historicengland has awarded us £437,961 to carry out major restoration works on our iconic Grade II listed building. This will secure its future for the next 100 years – protecting a vital part of Salford’s heritage and keeping our doors open for young people and visitors from across the world.
Instagram post via @salford_ladsclub
“This funding is specifically for building repairs, not our everyday running costs, so we’ll still be working hard to fund the youth and community programmes that make this club such a special place.”
The funding will contribute towards the Club, which aims to give boys and girls a recreation space offering activities like sport, art and music. Although this funding will help with the repairs and restoration of Salford Lads and Girls Club, the everyday running of the charity will still be reliant on donations, so the Club will not be complacent in its efforts to raise funds, but for the city of Salford, the funding is a lifeline for its culture, and its children.
This piece of Manchester and Salford’s music heritage opened in 1904 on Coronation Street (the real one) and has helped generations of boys and later girls as a recreation space offering activities for the children of Salford’s dock workers and shopkeepers. But the charity behind the club said the rising costs of maintaining the grade-II listed building, as well as a loss of grant funding, had put the venue’s future at risk in 2024.
Championed by musicians and local fans of Salford Lads Club, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a campaign to save the Club reached all corners of the UK and further, with the love for the Club becoming undeniable. Noel Gallagher released one of his iconic guitars to be auctioned for the cause, the likes of Morrissey and Graham Nash of the Hollies donated huge amounts, and Courteeners frontman Liam Fray and Charlatans icon Tim Burgess kept the flame alive.
Salford Lads Club is a true Salford icon, and it’s clear how much this place means to both the public, and musical figures given its heritage. This Historic England funding will come as a relief to many, but efforts will be made to secure its future even further.
