Founders of 'DIY' music venue in Sheffield seek £10,000 to save threatened club

The founders of a 'DIY' punk music venue in Sheffield are seeking to raise £10,000 to keep it going amid pressure from developers.
The Lughole opened on New Year's Eve 2013The Lughole opened on New Year's Eve 2013
The Lughole opened on New Year's Eve 2013

The Lughole was set up at a disused factory on Arundel Street, in the city centre, four years ago as an antidote to what its creators view as the conformity of the mainstream music industry.

The collective behind the volunteer-run, not-for-profit venue says it has proved a huge success, fostering a sense of community no profit-driven club could ever hope to match.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But it now faces an uncertain future due to the threat of development, and supporters are aiming to raise £10,000 to secure a new home in the city before being forced out of their existing premises.

Their crowdfunding appeal reached the quarter way mark within three days of being launched, as more than 100 people donated.

A message posted on the crowdfunding page says: "If you have ever been to the Lughole then I think you will know what we are about and you will know what we stand for.

"If you have ever spoken to one of our collective then you will know the passion, enthusiasm and hundreds and hundreds of hours we have poured into the place so that our community can have a space in which to thrive and grow.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"However, not everyone in the world shares our ideals. We face continuing threats and pressure from both Sheffield Council and private developers. It is not a question of will the Lughole be closed anymore, it is a question of when.

"With this in mind we are hoping to relocate before they force us out. To leave on our own terms rather than face a hasty eviction and leave a huge void in the national DIY community. That is where we hope you come in."

Public, a new bar which opened recently in the old toilets beneath Sheffield Town Hall, are among those to have backed the cause.

"If we don’t have places like Lughole then Sheffield immediately becomes culturally less rich, more homogenised, a heaving mass of student flats and landfill indie," it tweeted.

"That would be horrendous. Give the Lughole crew a helping hand and donate generously."

The Star has contacted Lughole and Sheffield Council.

* You can donate at www.gofundme.com/lughole-ii.