A COLLECTION of young musicians have raised more than £600 to help save Southend’s Ironworks through a fundraising gig.

The sold-out gig, held at the High Street community centre on Friday, was organised by Southend musician, Ash Britt, 17, and her friends.

The gig raised funds for the “Save the Ironworks” campaign, which is aiming to raise thousands of pounds to secure the future of the “vital” community hub.

The Ironworks is facing closure unless £10,000 extra is raised to help pay for rent and overheads.

The gig saw more than 200 people attend the sell-out show, with a line-up of six young bands organising the promotion, booking, marketing, technical elements, and photography for the night.

Ash said: “It was great to be able to perform to so many people on Friday, we all really enjoyed ourselves and we hope to bring many more events to Southend in the future.

“Thank you to The Ironworks for supporting us, we hope our fundraising will be of some help, and we can all play there again soon.”

Ironworks co-founder Ami Solomons said: “We are so proud of our young, enterprising musicians and we are proud to provide a safe, welcoming venue where they can grow, and fulfil their dreams.

“We don’t know our future, but we really hope to be able to be here for musicians like Ash and her many friends that performed and contributed on Friday, not to mention the 200 guests who enjoyed the evening with them.

“Thank you to everyone involved, all the performers, sound, photography and technical crew, well done.”

This was Ash’s second packed gig at The Ironworks.

Ami added: “Ash’s gratitude towards The Ironworks for supporting them and the fundraising efforts reflects the strong bond between the venue and the local musicians.

“It’s clear that the event was a success not just in terms of the funds raised but also in creating a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.”

The event has contributed to the Save The Ironworks campaign, which currently needs £10,000 to reach a fundraising target of £17,000.

For more information, visit: gofundme.com/f/the-ironworks-southend-reach-the-next-level