The sold out gig everyone is praying won't be the last at Salford Lads Club

It's Friday night at Salford Lads Club, the place is heaving and Manchester's latest breakthrough act ROLLA is about to take to the stage.

But while there's excitement in the air, there's no escaping the palpable fear - that this could turn out to be the last gig at this much-loved venue.

We shared last month how Ordsall's cultural institution was on the brink of closure and must find a quarter of a million pounds by the end of November to survive.

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ROLLA is among those who stepped forward to help it do just that, using tonight's gig as a fundraiser to help secure the future of the iconic venue, which has provided a lifeline for young people from deprived communities for 120 years.

The crowd is a diverse one. From trendy students with mullets and baggy jeans to middle aged men and women in Dr Martens and adidas Sambas using the preamble as a chance to walk through halls of the Lads Club, some marvelling at how much has changed and how much remains the same since it was their own stomping ground.

Proceedings are kicked off by openers for the night Akayla, whose frenetic, melodic and skittish blend form of Indie rock soon warmed everyone up.

By the time ROLLA hits the stage, the top floor of the gig room is packed out. The boys saunter onto the stage to a rambunctious crowd and reply in kind.

"Thank you very much for coming to Salford Lads Club. It Means the f***ing world,” says lead singer James Gilmore.

A medley of fan favourites ensues, along with new songs like Too Fast, It Ain't Easy, Ease My Mind and Beautiful life. There's head banging and fist pumping in the crowd, who at one point chant the band's name over and over again like die-hard football fans - an acknowledgment of not just their stellar performance, but just what their act of kindness could mean for this place.

It might be hosting rock and rollers this evening, but the Lads Club's DIY roots are hard to miss. On the polished but scuffed floor of the bottom gymnasium sits a merch table where limited edition T-shirts are sold by one lonely volunteer using his mobile phone as a card reader.

Across the hall from the merch table, underneath a basketball hoop missing its net, sits a makeshift bar with a whiteboard propped on a tripod showing off what beverages are on offer.

It's all part of a treasured facility where special things happen and kids have been given a much-needed lifeline.

The historic youth centre first opened in 1903 with the mission to 'Brighten Young Lives and Make Good Citizens'.

It's excelled at doing exactly that and so much more. But, due to rising costs and a reduction in grant income, the future is uncertain.

The M.E.N last month launched a crowdfunding campaign on behalf of the club in order to raise the money - £250k is needed by the end of November to give it a chance of surviving.

After scores of generous donations large and small, from famous names but also local residents and businesses, at the time of writing an amazing £224,638 has been raised, more than 90 percent of the total.

However, with just weeks to go, a total of £25,362 is still needed to hit the magic £250k figure. And we are today asking for people to spare whatever they can to help get them over the line.

You can donate to the Salford Lads and Girls Club fundraiser here.