Salford Lads Club SAVED from closure as £250k target smashed following Manchester Evening News appeal

Salford Lads and Girls Club has been saved from closure following a Manchester Evening News appeal. The 121-year-old institution - a lifeline for young people from deprived communities - announced in October it needed to raise £250,000 by the end November or would shut.

The M.E.N. can reveal that in just six weeks £273,000 has been raised. Donations include £100,000 from Salford council and £50,000 from Morrissey. The fundraising target was surpassed today (Thursday, November 28) after £30,000 was pledged by the gas company Cadent.

More than 1,400 people have made donations after the M.E.N. launched a GoFundMe campaign. The auction of a Noel Gallagher guitar, and £10,000 given by Salford-born rock and pop star Graham Nash of 1960s pop group The Hollies and American band Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young also helped.

READ MORE:'Lying on the edge of an estate in need of regeneration I walked into Salford Lads Club for the first time...I fell in love'

Now the club has breathing space. The next move is to set up a £1m 'Legacy Fund' - a permanent endowment fund that could draw down £40,000 to £50,000 a year in returns.

Last year the club's income was £160,000. It included donations; money from open days and visitors; hiring out the Grade II-listed building for weddings and to filmmakers; and its online shop. But projected outgoings for the coming 12 months are £394,700.

Costs have rocketed, with the club finding it difficult to look after and maintain its 1903 Edwardian home with the care it needs. Bosses also need to employ staff to run of the club and be able to compete for grants.

Income from grants slumped because the market has become overloaded and competitive, bosses say. The club's annual utilities bill is £15,000, while building maintenance is £15,000 and insurance costs come in at £13,000.

In 1985, the club was used as the setting for an iconic image of Manchester band The Smiths. The picture, taken by Stephen Wright, has brought the club global recognition and a source of funding from fans of the group. To this day, fans from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the venue.

It offers sport and other activities six days a week to more than 200 young people in one of the most deprived areas of the country.

Club president Anthony Groves - great great grandson of one of the founders, James Grimble Groves - said today: "Our club opened its doors in 1903 - a product of Manchester's Industrial Age. The club was built by industrialists to support families and disadvantaged youth, striving for survival in an increasingly industrial world.

"Today 121 years later, to the rallying call of the Manchester Evening News, many other industries and thousands of people from across the country have come to the rescue of that same club.

"The media industry, the music industry, the sports industry, the brewing industry, Utilities, Government, Local Council, some brilliant minds from the creative industry, members of the local community and of course the Club’s volunteers and management team - to name but a few - have all played their part."

Leslie Holmes, projects manager at the club for 22 years, said: "It's incredible that so many people have helped us to reach our total in such a short period of time. I don't think James and Williams Groves, who built the club in 1903, could ever have imagined a time when Salford Lads Club would be valued by people from almost every country in the world.

"I think a lot of our appeal is just that - we are local history with a worldwide audience. Local people have knocked on my door to give me cash donations, people have come up to me in Sainsbury;s to ask about the appeal; it has had such a powerful effect on everyone around here.

"Among the names of people who have made donations there are those of recent visitors from as far afield as Santiago in Chile, Reykjavik in Iceland, and Busan in South Korea.

"Over the past 120 years, Salford Lads Club has come to mean so many different things to so many people, including me. But I think one thing we can all agree about is that this place is unique and irreplaceable."

Sue Binder, the club's head of finance, said: "We can also now go full speed at the legacy fund. £1m plus in this permanent fund, where donations last forever, will help the club to be financially sustainable long-term, and avoid the need for a desperate appeal like this again. With more secure income streams in place we’ll be able to have a much longer forecasting horizon, which will enable us to make better informed strategic decisions, investments and plans."

Laura Slingsby, head of youth operations, said: "This funding is a lifeline for the young people we support. It means we can continue to provide a safe and supportive space where they can grow, build skills, and access opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.

"We're incredibly thankful to everyone who contributed to this campaign, your support will make a real and lasting difference to the lives of young people in our community as we continue to brighten young lives and make good citizens."

Phil Burrows, head of customer vulnerability at Cadent, said: "This is not just an iconic centre, it is a vital part of the community, providing a safe and welcoming place for young people in particular, and many more too. It has been wonderful to learn all about the incredible work that goes on within the club.

"I am glad that we can provide the final amount of funding the club needs to reach its target to stay open. As someone born and raised in Manchester, and being a big fan of The Smiths, I am more than just a little proud that we could make this happen. Stealing words from a certain songwriter, this is a light that should never go out."