Salford Rum aim to raise £7,500 for Salford Lads’ Club

Salford drinkers are being invited to support the city’s iconic Lads’ Club by buying a commemorative bottle of rum.

Local distiller, Salford Rum, is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the century-old club with a new limited-edition bottle of their original spiced rum.

Five pounds from each sale will be donated to the Lads’ Club, and if all the bottles sell, are hoping to raise up to £7,500. This money will help them to continue providing sporting and social opportunities for local children, like they have done since opening in 1903.

James Harrison, Salford Rum’s Director, explained: “Working with Salford Lads’ Club has been an ambition since day one. We have so much respect for what they do for the community and for how long they have been doing it.”

The bottle’s design was created by Manchester-based artist, Dave Draws, who also worked on the other Salford Rum bottles.

In typical Dave Draws fashion, the bottle is decorated with a quirky, doodled map that focuses on the Lads’ Club’s location, highlighting surrounding streets like Huddart Close and Regent Square.

Artist, David Gee, 32, said: “I think like a lot of people, my first knowledge of it was to do with The Smiths. That’s all I really knew about it. From doing this project, I’m aware of all the good work they do, so the more money that can be raised, the better”.

Salford Lads’ Club was opened in 1903 by James and William Groves. Their aim was to get teenagers, who were susceptible to joining gangs, off the streets, by providing a local hub where they could partake in activities, such as football and boxing.

More than a century after it opened, the club still provides opportunities for local children. It’s run entirely by volunteers, some of whom attended the club when they were growing up. The listed Edwardian building became an iconic landmark after pop band, The Smiths were photographed by Stephen Wright in 1985.

Volunteer Blaine Haney. Credit: Blaine Haney

Volunteer and member of the club, Blaine Haney, 17, said: “It’s a place of warmth. When you volunteer there, it feels like you have a tight knit family. We are all in it to help each other, and no one is different.

“It’s such a safe place where you get help with all your problems. You know, you’ll walk in with this head of problems, and you’ll walk out with a clear mind. It’s amazing”, he added.

Despite being popular within the community, Salford Lads’ Club is still worried about funding after the pandemic.

Leslie Holmes, Project Manager at Salford Lads’ Club, believes charity projects like this are so important, especially at a time when money is “a thriving concern”. He said: “We do a lot of fundraising ourselves through t-shirts and merchandise. We get donations from different charitable trusts. But we are not part of the council or the government, so we’ve got to make our own way and try and keep this place going.

Mr Holmes added: “We get 240 kids a week in here still. For each of our clubs, they’ve all got different needs. Our football teams need kits. We have to pay referee fees out each time. We have to pay transport costs. For everything that what we do here, there are a lot of ongoing costs”.