Christopher BarrettThe Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol have been purchased by a scheme set up by the Music Venue Trust (MVT).
The purchases bring the number of venues acquired by MVT’s Music Venue Properties scheme to seven. MVT said it was set up to remove grassroots venues from vulnerable leases by purchasing the freehold of the buildings and placing them into community ownership.
Since MVT launched the Own Our Venues campaign in 2022 it has raised £4 million through a combination of community investment, with music fans buying shares from £50 upwards, and funding from the likes of Arts Council England which has contributed £500,000. Shareholders include Marshall Amplification’s Terry Marshall and his wife Lesley, singer-songwriter Katie Melua and Squeeze co-founder and frontman Glenn Tilbrook.
The Joiners and The Croft join The Snug in Atherton, The Ferret in Preston, Le Pub in Newport, The Bunkhouse in Swansea and The Booking Hall in Dover in the scheme’s expanding venue portfolio.
“The purchase and securing of The Joiners and The Croft, two iconic buildings that have launched international carriers and sit at the heart of their communities, marks a historic milestone for Music Venue Properties,” said its COO Matt Otridge. “With these additions, seven grassroots music venues across the country are now permanently protected for further generations and it proves the power of community ownership.”
The current phase of the Own Our Venues campaign has reached 82% of its £1.5 million target to bring seven more vital grassroots music venues into permanent community ownership. These venues are Esquires in Bedford, The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, Peggy’s Skylight in Nottingham, The Pipeline in Brighton, Northern Guitars in Leeds, Gut Level in Sheffield, and Little Buildings in Newcastle.