The 120-year-old Salford Lads Club became part of Greater Manchester’s music history after featuring on the Smiths’ The Queen is Dead album sleeve, and all the while it has been operating as a charity providing activities for local young people and the community. Now, the sad news has come that Salford Lads Club could shut within weeks without the funding it needs, closing down a piece of the city’s heritage.
Salford Lads Club opened in 1904 on Coronation Street (the real one) and has helped generations of boys and later girls as a recreation space offering activities like sport, art and music for the children of Salford’s dock workers and shopkeepers. But the charity behind the club says the rising costs of maintaining the grade-II listed building, as well as a loss of grant funding, has put the venue’s future at risk.
Organisers have said that £250,000 is needed by the end of the November to keep Salford Lads Club open for current and future generations, which would go towards maintenance costs for the Edwardian building, with many trusts and grants that supported the club in the past having shut down.
Tim Burgess, lead singer of iconic Manchester band The Charlatans and community and music activist, posted on X about the news: “@salfordladsclub has been there for so many people over the years – a real community hub, with a place in music folklore gathered along the way.
“Well, they need us now, so let’s rally round and help them out. Dig deep, it’s for the worthiest of causes.” Plenty of musicians and locals have cited the inspiration that Salford Lads Club has given over the years, and the club has partnered with local businesses and brands over the years, including most recently with Seven Bro7hers brewery in Salford.
If you want to help save Salford Lads Club from closing, you can donate to or share the GoFundMe page here.