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. Just a few months ago, the sad news came that Salford Lads Club could shut within weeks without the funding it needed, but now, after some hefty donations from local businesses and dedicated musicians including Noel Gallagher, Morrissey and Tim Burgess, it has officially been saved.
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 like sport, art and music 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.
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.
In a social media post today (November 28), Salford Lads Club announced: “We did it! Salford Lads and Girls Club is officially saved!
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we’ve smashed our £250,000 target, ensuring the doors of this iconic building remain open for our young people and the community.
“From historic concerts to changing lives through youth work, this club has stood as a beacon of hope, culture, and connection. This funding ensures we can continue to make an impact for generations to come.”
In the words of Salford Lads Club, and indeed the Smiths: there is a light and it never goes out.