Granite City nightclub bosses have sent out a funding SOS as many venues face the “risk of permanent closure” under Covid-19 restrictions.
JP McGivney, who is leading the “save our scene” crowd-funder campaign online on behalf of Unit 51, Bridge Street Social Club and Underground Klub, said the new Aberdeen lockdown has made the situation “even starker” for the late-night venues.
He is asking people to donate “whatever they can spare” through beer and ticket money that might have gone unspent over the last few months.
Mr McGivney said: “This has been something we’ve been looking at for the last few months as we knew that the furlough scheme was coming to an end and we knew that the costs were continuing.
“We always had that glimmer of hope that maybe it would be the end of September or October but after the lockdown announcement it really snowballed proceedings.”
The campaign is offering t-shirts, hoodies and AAA nightclub gold cards as rewards for donations.
Mr McGivney added: “The harsh reality is we won’t make it without the public’s help, all of our venues mean something different to each of our customers.
“We knew we wouldn’t get back to full clubbing, but there would be some hope there for our industry that there might be a beginning of a new normal.
“It looks now that the lifting of the lockdown for my sector is a long way off and it’s a shame because there are a lot of good operators in this city.”
