Salford Lads and Girls Club has been awarded a huge cash sum to protect its future, just nine months after the iconic building faced closure.
The Grade II-listed building, which has served as a community hub for 122 years, has been granted £480,000 by Historic England to protect and preserve the venue.
The money will be used for essential building repairs and upgrades, safeguarding its future for future generations of Salford residents. The funds won’t go towards the club’s everyday running costs however, so the youth and community programmes will need funding from elsewhere to continue running.
The club faced closure in late 2024, before a successful fundraising campaign kept it open, with donations from local companies as well as Salford Council and The Smiths star Morrissey, who with Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr, immortalised the front of the building on the inside cover of the 1986 album The Queen Is Dead.
Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said: “It is fantastic news that Salford Lads’ Club has been awarded this grant. The money will help to pay for vital repairs so the club can stay open.
“The club has been at the heart of our city for more than 120 years and has helped guide and support tens of thousands of young people during that time. It is now open to young people of all genders, providing everything from boxing and gymnastics to music sessions and arts and crafts.
“We are extremely lucky to have the club based in this great city, and I look forward to the next successful chapter in its history.”
The club has existed on the same spot since 1904, founded by Robert Baden-Powell, who also later founded the Scouting movement.
Former members include former City and United players Steve Fleet and Eddie Colman, Allan Clarke, lead singer of The Hollies, and Graham Nash, guitarist, songwriter and singer with The Hollies who went on to form the legendary Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
The exterior of the building also featured in the videos for legendary Smiths tracks There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before.
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