Manchester’s Carlton Club launches fundraiser following eviction threat

Manchester’s 111-year-old community music venue The Carlton Club has launched a fundraiser to help fight a recent eviction notice.

The funds raised via the GoFundMe, set up on August 20, will go towards the legal fees needed to appeal the eviction notice, the venue explained.

The legal process will take at least 12 months throughout which the club will remain open, although its future beyond that is in jeopardy. The Carlton Club is located in the Whalley Range neighbourhood, southwest of Manchester's city centre.

The eviction notice comes from the building's official owner The Building Company, who has allowed The Carlton Club to operate out of the venue since 1913, acting as a social club, music venue, and event space hosting a range of activities such as bingo, gardening, quiz nights, record fairs, film screenings, gigs, and club nights.

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Carlton Club is a Community Interest Company, meaning it exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. As of recently, The Building Company has decided it wants to remove The Carlton Club from the premises and “run its own business from the site”, meaning that the historic venue would have to close down.

The Carlton Club has stated in an Instagram post that it needs an initial £50,000 to “cover professional fees for the first part of the campaign". At the time of writing, August 23, the fundraiser has raised almost £14,000.

The club will challenge the eviction notice based on the grounds that The Building Company should "reconsider mutually beneficial solutions" to the problem, recognise the "history and heritage" of The Club, and "act in the best interests" of the community.

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Rated Manchester's top venue out of 778 on Skiddle, The Carlton Club is much-loved within the city's music scene. Recent club nights have hosted DJs including Mia Koden, Ruf Dug and Manchester-native Chunky.

The news of its precarious future comes just a few days after favourite Leeds venue Cosmic Slop announced its charity partner MAP is under threat from a proposed housing development, which could put the nightlife venue at risk.

Both venues are valuable social and cultural resources that play important parts within the respective communities they serve.

As Justin Anderson, Acting Chair of The Carlton Club, said: “In an era of increasing social isolation the Club is a lifeline for many, not to mention its vital role in supporting live music by providing an affordable venue when so many have closed. It is an asset of irreplaceable value, if it’s lost it will be lost forever."

To help save The Carlton Club, you can sign the appeal petition here, or donate to the fundraiser here.

Meena Sears is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Instagram