Manchester Evening News: "The Smiths icon Morrissey donates £50,000 to help save Salford Lads Club" (October 31, 2024)

Nice to see!





Excerpt:

The M.E.N. set up a fundraiser and Morrissey's backing will push the current total to £216,000. If the quarter of million pound target can be reached it will secure the future of the club for another year. Long term the plan 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.

Morrissey onstage at Maxwell Hall during The Smiths' 1986 gig at Salford University (Image: YouTube/The Smiths Bootlegs)
Laura Slingsby, head of youth operations at the club said: "We are deeply grateful for Morrissey’s generous donation to Salford Lads and Girls Club. His support is more than a financial contribution; it’s a powerful endorsement of our mission and a tribute to the club’s enduring role in the lives of young people and the cultural heart of Salford.

"For over a century, Salford Lads and Girls Club has been a place where young people can come together, find their voices, and develop identities rooted in heritage. Morrissey’s connection to the club, immortalised through iconic moments in music history, has created a lasting cultural link that resonates deeply with the young people here.

"His contribution reinforces the importance of preserving spaces like ours—places where young people connect with their community’s history, freely express themselves, and build the confidence they need for their futures.

"Three weeks into our campaign, we’re close to reaching our goal, and Morrissey’s support has brought us even nearer to keeping our doors open. We are incredibly thankful for the outpouring of love and solidarity we’ve received and urge everyone to continue spreading the word, raising awareness, and standing by the next generation of Salford Lads and Girls Club members.


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Nice to see the Guardian was able to report the story and not add in a sly dig while they were at it.

Morrissey donates £50,000 to Salford Lads Club fundraiser
From the article:

'The famous shot of the Smiths outside the club was taken by Stephen Wright. Project manager Leslie Holmes, who started the Smiths room at the club, told Manchester Evening News that he credited the photo with the club’s survival, giving it a sense of cultural heritage. “Quietly, he has done a lot for this club,” he said of Morrissey. “In terms of musicians, he has given us more than anybody else by a long way.”'
 

YES!
'Morrissey did not publicise the donation but gave the club permission to do so if they wished, said Slingsby. Morrissey previously donated £20,000 to the club in 2007 after lead was stolen from the roof, necessitating urgent repairs. In 2016, when he performed at Manchester Arena, he sold his merchandise at the club, which raised £12,000 alongside the club’s own merchandise.'
 
'Morrissey did not publicise the donation but gave the club permission to do so if they wished, said Slingsby. Morrissey previously donated £20,000 to the club in 2007 after lead was stolen from the roof, necessitating urgent repairs. In 2016, when he performed at Manchester Arena, he sold his merchandise at the club, which raised £12,000 alongside the club’s own merchandise.'

I was minding my business
Lifting some lead off
The roof of the Salford Lads Club
 

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