Beloved Whalley Range Social Club raises money to continue fight against eviction notice

The renowned Carlton Club in Whalley Range has so far raised £50,000 to pay for legal fees after receiving an eviction notice from their landlord.

Founded in 1913, the Carlton Club has been a staple of the community. It operates as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), hosting events ranging from live music and DJ sets to grief support groups, craft sessions, and dance classes.

But since early 2024, the club has been facing the threat of eviction from the company which owns the premises.

According to bar manager Evan Woodall, the dispute stems from a historic agreement made when the building was transferred to community use. Under the arrangement, The Carlton Club CIC operates the venue, while a separate building company is responsible for maintaining the premises. In March 2024, the building company issued an eviction notice, triggering an ongoing legal dispute that has yet to be resolved.

”They’re on record saying they want to reinstate it as a private members’ club,” Evan said. ”At the moment, we’re a non-members club. Anyone can walk in, and we’ve got 1,200 to 1,300 active members.”

With negotiations ongoing and intentions from the building company being described as “vague”, the Carlton Club launched a fundraiser to cover legal costs. The GoFundMe campaign has raised £50,000 so far.

”We don’t have surplus income from the bar to support a legal challenge,” Evan said. ”So the fundraiser was essential just to be able to contest the eviction and keep talking.”

While mediation continues, the club is trying to avoid the far expense of court proceedings. It has turned to smaller, community led fundraising efforts, including a lottery, merchandise sales, and benefit events.

”Fundraising fatigue is real,” Evan added. ”We’ve taken a bit of a backseat on the ‘save our club’ campaign and are trying to keep things a business as usual as possible.”

Raphael Thuret, a local resident and club member, said the venue is a rare space that that actively encourages creativity and participation within the community.

”I don’t have DJ skills or mixing equipment,” he said. ”But they offered me the chance to play records anyway. It’s about sharing music and having fun, not about being polished.”

Raphael has played at early evening events and even on New Year’s Eve, creating sets that are designed as ”a journey” rather than chasing crowd pleasing hits. He says the club’s openness reflects its wider ethos.

Another member, David Nicholls, who helped organise a record fair at the venue, echoed that sentiment. ”It’s a proper community place,” he said. ”The staff are friendly, it’s affordable, and it’s a good mix of local stuff and more well known acts.”

From Kurdish music lessons, and dance groups to over 60s fitness classes and touring bands passing through Manchester, the Carlton club functions as a social hub. One of the fears if the eviction succeeds is that the diversity that the space promotes could be lost.

For now, the doors remain open, and the music, meetings, and fundraisers continue. As Evan put it, ”Progress is slow, but we’re still talking,” and as long as the club’s still here, the community still has a space.