Hebden Bridge's Trades Club has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help see the venue through the ongoing COVID-19 shutdown.

The Yorkshire venue, which has been closed since March in compliance with UK coronavirus measures, is facing an uncertain future due to months of lost revenue and no clear date set for reopening.

The venue's 200-capacity upstairs space has hosted the likes of Patti Smith, Buzzcocks, Laura Marling, Mark Lanegan, The Fall, Anna Calvi, Lee Scratch Perry, and Teenage Fanclub, amongst many others, over the years, while it's also provided a vital platform for up-and-coming artists to play live.

"The Hebden Bridge club is owned by its members, and has like every other live music venue been forced to close its doors due to the pandemic," the venue's statement announcing the crowdfunding campaign says, adding that "it still has to find money to pay its loyal staff and running costs despite no money coming in."

The statement continues: "As a not for profit, community co-operative they don't have huge reserves to fall back on and despite promises of some government support they can't rely on when that might actually be paid out.

"Any donations will primarily be used to pay their fixed costs until they are able to safely re-open. Any additional funds will be spent on long-overdue refurbishments to a venue that first opened its doors in 1924, including works to make the club more accessible and inclusive for deaf and disabled people."

The venue's head of promotions Mal Campbell says: "We've held off as long as we could before launching this crowdfunder but we really need support from as our many of our friends who can hel. The centenary of the venue opening its doors is only a couple of years away so we really want to be around for that, and although we know times are hard for many people, any donation big or small will help us survive.

“To carry on supporting live music we need some short term help, and I can assure donors that once the Trades can open safely we will be putting on some very special events to say thank you in the best possible way."

To support the Trades Club, and find out more about the campaign, head here.