Singer in tune with Lads Club crisis will donate all profits from new album to youth venue

An acclaimed singer is hoping his new album will help Salford Lads and Girls Club avoid closure. As reported in the MEN Wayne Devlin has published a book after his own career switched from working on building sites in Manchester to crooning on stage in Las Vegas.

He has also released his digital album 'Looking Back' with all proceeds going directly to support the club which needs to raise £250,000 by the end of November. The MEN is sponsoring a gofundme page for the club and so far £164,000 has been raised.

Wayne, from Davyhulme, learned to sing via his dad Pat's record collection. His musical education started and finished with the Great American Songbook and that country's finest interpreters of the genre - Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Sammy Davis Jr.

You can donate to the Salford Lads Club fundraiser here.

The voice that inspired him most was Tony Bennett's and he finally met the star after his performance at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. In 2021 Wayne sang for 24 hours in an Italian restaurant in Urmston. The inspiration for the 'swing-a-thon' was Bennett revealing he had been living with Alzheimer's for four years. It raised £9,000 for the Alzheimer's Society.

He has raised an astonishing £750,000 over 15 years for a variety of charities. His efforts have earned him the British Citizen Award for Services to the Arts. Now Wayne, 48, has published The Crooner: The Art of Crooning and The Timeless Legacy of Tony Bennett.

He hopes to help the Lads Club, made world famous by its links with Manchester band, The Smiths, who chose the location for a famous picture. His £5 Digital album includes classics such as 'The Summer Wind'; 'New York New York' and 'Witchcraft'.

Wayne said: "The Salford Lads & Girls Club, is a Grade II listed building with a rich cultural heritage. It is not just a global icon of music history, but also a lifeline for local youth in the Ordsall area, where 46 percent of children live in poverty.

"The club offers essential activities like sports, music workshops, and arts programmes, keeping young people away from the pressures of gang culture and creating a safe space for personal development. However, the club is in urgent need of a cash injection by the end of the year to keep its doors open, as soaring costs of utilities and maintenance have placed it at risk."

He has a strong connection to the club, using its boxing facilities himself. " I witnessed firsthand how it has helped young people in the community."

"My new album 'Looking Back', is an expression of gratitude for the community that shaped many of my friends and a call to action for others to help preserve this important institution. All funds from the digital album sales will go directly towards helping the club meet its fundraising goal and continue to offer transformative experiences for local youth."

Salford City Council has donated £100,000 to the club and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham pledged: “Having worked closely with the club for many years, we are acutely aware of the current financial difficulties and the challenging operating times it faces.

“There will be people around the world who are only aware of Salford, because of the Lads Club, via the lens of the famous Smiths photograph. So it is only right that the council provides this much need funding now and a commitment to support in the future.”

Income from visitors and filmmakers is not enough to fund the huge costs of delivering youth work that provides a lifeline to the community. Behind this world-recognised institution is a community asset on its knees.

The club offers sport and other activities six days a week to more than 200 young people in one of the most deprived areas of the country. The institution continues to provide a wide range of activities. On club nights - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, there are sessions in football, boxing, table tennis, badminton, basketball, dodgeball, pool, chess, arts and crafts, drama workshops, music workshops, and free food.

Seven years ago the club had no football teams, despite its history of producing professional footballers. Now it has six boys teams and in 2021 set up the first girls team. The teams play on Saturdays and Sundays on the Ordsall Park astro turf and Salford Sport Village.

If it can survive the immediate crisis by finding a cash injection, the club intends to set up Salford Lads and Girls Club Legacy Fund. Donations to the fund will last forever. The money raised will be invested in a permanent trust, with a portion of the interest earned downloaded each year as a vital stream of income.

For more information or to purchase 'Looking Back' visit www.waynedevlin.bandcamp.com/album/looking-back. Let’s come together to ensure the doors of Salford Lads & Girls Club remain open for generations to come.

You can donate to the Salford Lads Club fundraiser here.