A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help one of Newport’s best-loved music venues navigate a transitional period.

Locals and regulars who frequent the city’s rock music scene were surprised earlier this week when McCann’s Rock and Ale Bar shut its doors without warning.

The fate of the independent establishment remained unclear until Macey McCann informed the Argus that she plans to take over ownership, following the death of her mother Amy McCann, who had managed the venue until she died last year.

Ms McCann is keen to welcome customers back to this beloved establishment and carry on the work her mother started, but in the meantime, committed fans and regulars have demonstrated their backing by contributing whatever they can to assist during the reopening process.

A GoFundMe campaign established by the venue’s supporters seeks to provide staff with financial support while patrons await the bar’s return.

The page has already collected more than a quarter of its £4,000 target, with numerous prominent names from the regional music community uniting to ensure this venue can reopen and sustain grassroots music.

The GoFundMe page explains that the goal is to collect £10,000 to support McCann’s employees throughout the transition and provide them with enough funds to cover roughly one month’s wages while the new management prepares to open.

They also note that this financial support will assist the incoming proprietor with essential launch capital to get the business operational again and give McCann’s the fresh beginning it deserves.

The page states that McCann’s has always been more than simply a pub. It is a community, a space filled with recollections, tunes, distinctive personalities and supporters who have stood by it for years. The campaign aims to give it the opportunity to return with renewed strength, placing staff and customers at its centre.

Those wishing to contribute can still do so through the GoFundMe platform.