A much-loved live music venue in the city has launched a Crowdfunding appeal following an unsuccessful bid to the government's Culture Recovery Fund.

The 1865, in Brunswick Square is in "urgent" need of funds to cover costs that have built up since lockdown started in March.

A post on the venue's Crowdfunding page read: "Despite being a viable, well run venue, we were unsuccessful in our bid for the Cultural Recovery Fund, which has left our future in a perilous state."

The fund, administered by the Arts Council England, assesses venues based on location and their "cultural significance and/or contribution to providing cultural opportunity in England."

Other venues were said to "more closely [align] with the criteria", though venue co-ordinator Guy Benfield disagreed with this decision.

He said: "We believe that we are the only venue of our size regionally that provides this range of activity regularly.

"The venue has hosted thousands of performers...providing work for hundreds of technicians, crew, promoters and many other lines of duty.

"We have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, and have become an essential hub for dozens of community groups and organisations."

Since opening in 2013, the venue has hosted live music, sports, comedy and community workshops and is a staple of the city's nightlife.

Though currently able to trade, the venue can only operate at 20% capacity and costs have piled up after the venue was forced to close for five months.

Mr Benfield said: "Our event expenses have increased, due to providing extra security and stewarding staff to enforce our Covid-19 mitigation rules and extra bar staffing to fulfil the table service requirement.

"[Funding] will help us to bridge the gap between the increase in expenses and reduction in turnover, while also contributing to some of the accounts that were accumulated [during our closure.]"

The appeal's target of £30k is said to be "the absolute minimum required" to secure the venue's future.

On their Crowdfunding page they added: "Any further funds raised will ensure the long term future of the venue, while we await the light at the end of the Coronavirus tunnel. "

Visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/savethe1865 for more information.