Legendary singer donates £10,000 to save Salford Lads Club

Graham Nash, former Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young singer has donated £10,000 to help keep The Salford Lad’s Club from closure. 

Mr Nash spent his childhood and teenage years in Salford in the 1940s and 50s and was a member of the Salford Lads Club.

Graham Nash donates £10,000 to Salford Lads Club

The club, situated on Coronation Street, has helped generations of young people and needs to raise £250,000 by the end of November to secure its future.

The fundraiser, backed by Salford-born Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, has raised more than £22,000 so far.

For decades, the club has served as a lifeline for young people in one of the most deprived areas of the country, offering everything from sporting opportunities to arts and crafts.

Founded in 1903 with the mission to “Brighten Young Lives and Make Good Citizens,” Salford Lads Club has been a vital cog in Salford’s ecosystem for years.

Its ornate Edwardian building on Coronation Street in Ordsall has seen countless young people walk through its doors, many of whom went on to achieve success in sports and the arts.

The club’s walls echo with the memories of local legends.

It was immortalised in 1985 when Manchester band The Smiths used the club as the backdrop for an iconic photograph, cementing its place in popular culture.

Fans of the band continue to visit the building to this day, drawn by its connection to music history.

Yet behind the global recognition and cultural cachet lies a community asset struggling to survive.

The rising costs of maintaining the club’s Grade II listed building, combined with a reduction in grants and increasing utility bills, mean that the club now faces a critical funding shortfall.

Laura Sipsmith, head of youth at Salford Lads Club said: “Currently, with the increased costs of running youth activities post-COVID, we need to raise £250,000 to keep our doors open past the end of November.

“It’s an accumulation of things: the cost of utilities, insurance, and everything else.

“The building is quite old, so the lack of funding available for youth organisations is affecting us.

“This is a common issue for many community organisations in terms of the grants and trusts available.”

How to donate to the Salford Lads Club fundraiser

You can donate to help save the Salford Lads’ Club by clicking here