A legendary Manchester venue made famous by The Smiths has issued a desperate fundraising appeal to stay open.
Salford Lads Club is calling on its supporters to help raise £250,000 by next month.
The venue, which first opened in 1903 faces closure if it is unable to raise the funds.
READ MORE: ‘Camel toe’ teacher who admitted sex with boy learns her fate as she’s sentenced
READ MORE: ‘I’ve been reporting on P Diddy’s sex scandal – here’s what floored me the most’
A rise in costs combined with a reduction of grant income means it will run out of money in eight weeks.
(Image: WEA Records)
The Smiths were pictured outside the club in an iconic shot used for the inside cover of their third album The Queen Is Dead.
Hit dramas including Peaky Blinders, Mrs Biggs and Cold Feet have also used the club for location shooting.
And it offers sport and other activities to hundreds of people in one of Manchester’s poorest areas, providing a “lifeline” to its under-privileged communities.
The club spends about £43,000 every year on utilities, building maintenance and insurance.
Laura Slingsby, the club’s Head of Youth Operations, said: “The rising cost of utilities, staff, and operational expenses, combined with fewer available grants, have created an urgent financial need.”
(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Salford Lads Club is based in Ordsall where hundreds of children under the age of 16 live in low-income families.
The local child poverty rate for children aged 11 to 15 has risen to 57% – the highest rate in Manchester.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
