Support Roadmender Northampton

The Roadmender needs your support during these unprecedented times.

Tuesday 23rd June. The government announced measures that see some opening of the hospitality sector. But the new measures still restrict the opening of your local live music venue and nightclub. New rules announced still prohibit any live performances, singing and dancing.  

Roadmender is an essential part of Northampton’s leisure scene. Through the years we have been a youth club, a community hall, a venue for boxing and other sports activities, an arts centre and since the 70s a music venue. We are regarded as the key venue in Northamptonshire for touring bands. 

Today, the Roadmender receives no funding from any local authority or charitable organisation.

For over the last decade I (Dave), alongside my wife (Natalie) and our great team of bar staff, engineers, security and colleagues make it work. My working day consists of accounts, booking gigs, fixing the loos and so on. At the same time, the venue Manager is cleaning the venue with my wife in toe cleaning the loos. Nearly forgot the Mother in Law, she does the Band Rooms. The wife does have a proper title “Marketing Manager” (Smiley Face)

Yes, we know not the best picture of us!!

Even though I run the Venue on a shoestring, the bills still land on the mat or these days via email. “Electronic Bills” So, for the time being, we are hoping for a bit of help in supporting the future of the venue.

Your donations will be used to help us cover our essential costs to maintain a skeleton staff rescheduling and promoting shows, dealing with customer enquiries, maintaining our facilities and planning for the future to ensure we can reopen as soon as we can.

Please help us celebrate our 80th anniversary in Oct 2020. By buying us a pint or some merch. 

BUY MORE FANTASTIC MERCH HERE

ROADMENDER'S HISTORY

We have, not me personally; provided Northampton with a cultural focal point ever since 1934, when Earl Spencer opened The Roadmender Club’s original venue, a disused factory in Lawrence Street.

Through decades of change, inside and outside our walls, Roadmender’ s mission has remained the same.

With the rise of depression in the 1930s, the authorities were worried about unemployed lads hanging on street corners getting into trouble. The National Association of Boys Clubs persuaded E W Harrison - who had already started similar initiatives in London - to open a club for boys in Northampton. The original converted factory was basic, with orange boxes and old barrels as seats.

Why the name "Roadmender"? Were the kids made to dig the streets? No, the name indicates that life is like a perfect road, but one that occasionally needs mending to keep in shape. Originally, the club used the symbol of a roadman’s oil lamp for kids to identify it is a youth centre. 

By 1937 the club nearly had 400 members and the club moved its headquarters to Gloucester House in Far Cotton.

The value of Roadmender to the local community was obvious, so money was found for brand new premises despite the imminent war. The Dalgleish-designed building in Lady’s Lane which houses Roadmender to this date opened in October 1940. Back then, Earl Spencer filled the position as President of the Northampton Roadmender Club. However, there is nothing particularly posh about Roadmender, and everyone has been welcomed throughout the years.

In 1964, members built a single entrance, abolishing what had effectively been a twin club divided down the middle between the girls and boys.

Take Care, Dave, Nat & The Team.