Leslie Holmes

“He’s brilliant, he is an artist, he is passionate and he loves this club,” says Salford Lads’ Club’s Jill Heron of Leslie Holmes.

For more than 20 years, Leslie has played a central role in protecting and shaping Salford Lads’ Club. Working full time since 2002, he has helped secure the building’s future and strengthen its reputation as a major music tourism site, while keeping its focus firmly on supporting young people in Salford.

Leslie moved to the city in 1992 with a belief in the importance of identity and place.

“There are footsteps you can tread on and that’s what has been in the past and unless you’ve got the past I don’t think you have a future,” he said.

After first delivering a class at the club in the early 2000s, he became determined to save it. One of his first actions was securing listed status for the building on cultural and social heritage grounds - a rare case that protected it from demolition and enabled restoration and long-term preservation.

Among his most significant projects is the Smiths Room, dedicated to Salford band The Smiths. The room has strengthened the club’s status as a key music heritage destination, drawing visitors from across the world and generating income to support youth activities.

He also led the creation of the steel wall of 22,500 members’ names - a two-year project documenting every club member since its inception. The installation has prompted emotional reactions from former members, including one man who said through tears, “I’ve never seen my name anywhere before.”

Beyond the building itself, Leslie continues to secure funding, host open days twice a week and develop projects that connect Salford’s past with its future.

His work ensures young people in Salford still have a place to go after school - preserving an iconic space at the heart of the community.

Read the full story on Salford Now.