The Ferret: Campaigners try save threatened Preston music venue

The venue originally opened as The Mad Ferret in 2006

A city centre music venue could close unless campaigners raise the remaining £150,000 needed to buy the building it is housed in.

The Ferret in Preston, which has hosted Ed Sheeran, Buzzcocks and Idles, is set to go on the market in three weeks.

In May, the council temporarily blocked a commercial sale for six months to give locals time to prepare a bid.

A buyer is yet to be found but the Music Venue Trust is stepping in to try raise the funds.

The charity, which tries to save grassroots gig spaces, said it was seeking donations both locally and nationally.

'Residential conversion'

Chief Executive Mark Davyd said he was "pretty confident" that "unless it's sold to us, we don't think it will be sold to be a music venue".

"What we need to be able to do is go to the landlord and say we want to put a bid in - and do that before they go back to market.

"That building has to be a music venue - it's in the ideal place to be one. And it's so important to Preston, we know that," he added.

The site, which employs about 10 staff, originally opened as The Mad Ferret in 2006 and became a cornerstone of the University of Central Lancashire's student quarter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The property, which is not wholly occupied by The Ferret, went on the market with a price tag of £795,000 back in March.

It was described in the listing as having potential for a "residential conversion".

A fundraising page set up last week has so far seen over £6,800 pledged.

The venue's managing director Sue Culshaw said: "Anybody can donate and it will give people a chance to show that they care about The Ferret.

"The building is back on the open market and anybody can step in and buy it - and either turf us out or raise the rent through the roof, whatever they choose."

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