A FLINTSHIRE venue which has hosted live music events for decades may close for good if financial support is not forthcoming, its manager has said.

The 'Save Our Venues' initiative – backed by musician Frank Turner – has been organised by the charity Music Venue Trust and aims to save more than 550 UK grassroots venues which are at imminent risk of permanent closure.

One of these is Buckley's Grade II Listed Tivoli Venue.

Manager Leighton Openshaw, who has been in the post for about five to six years, told the Leader: "It's great that business rates for music venues have been abolished for the next 12 months, but my worry is what happens after that.

"We're not in an industry where you can just click your fingers and everything goes back to normal.

"There will be a knock-on effect.

"We usually have two gigs every weekend. As it stands, we've probably cancelled about 40 so far.

"From now until December we have about 90-odd shows booked with some big artists.

"Since the start of the lockdown, we've sold two tickets for those 90 shows. It's devastating."

Mr Openshaw said "without a shadow of a doubt" the situation is creating serious concerns about the future of the venue, adding: "We had some storm damage recently which we were going to fix with money from the February and March shows.

"But they have of course been cancelled so that has been put on the back burner."

And preparation for such works take time, Mr Openshaw said, given the building's Grade II Listed status. The Save Our Venues initiative has so far raised more than £1 million of its £1.5 million target, with more than two weeks left to go.

Mr Openshaw encouraged the public to find out more, adding: "We'd say to people to have a good look at the Music Venue Trust and what they are about - and to give what they can, if they can. "At the moment it looks like our June and July shows are going to be postponed now and if this carries on, that's it - once it's gone, there's no coming back."

To find out more about the Save Our Venues scheme, including how to donate, visit: https://saveourvenues.co.uk