The World of Glass in St Helens at Risk of Closure – Urgent Public Appeal CROWDFUNDER DONATION LINK
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-the-world-of-glassOne of Merseyside’s most treasured cultural landmarks,
The World of Glass, is celebrating its 25th anniversary while at the same time facing imminent closure unless £50,000 is raised in the next 3 months. They have launched this campaign to secure the charity’s future. Without your support they will close their doors.
The World of Glass is more than just a museum. It’s a living tribute to St Helens’ industrial legacy and a vital hub for education, community events, and heritage preservation.
The museum has welcomed over 1 million visitors since opening in 2000 and serves thousands of local schoolchildren each year. It’s an independent charity that offers free cultural and education experiences including historic furnaces, hands-on exhibits, and live glassblowing. It is truly a one-of-a-kind UK experience and a hidden gem in the centre of St Helens.
Despite all this the World of Glass has been struggling in recent years to secure the income needed to keep open and free to the public. This is due to:
● Rising costs that all organisations are currently facing e.g. significant increases in staffing costs, overheads and energy costs
● Increased competition for funding in the charity sector
The World of Glass has an exciting opportunity to aim for in 2026. The International Festival of Glass (ifg.org.uk) will be hosted in St Helens for the very first time. The Glass Art Society (GAS) (Glass Art Society – Glass Art Society) has invited The World of Glass to partner with them to deliver the International Festival of Glass and the British Glass Biennale in 2026, bringing in 10K visitors to St Helens from across the globe.
GAS is an international organisation based in the United States. It has a connected, inspired and empowering all facets of the global glass community since 1971. Their Annual GAS Conference brings together glass makers, curators, educators, suppliers, and more from around the world to celebrate glass art in all its facets.
“When the Glass Art Society was selected to take over the International Festival of Glass, we knew we wanted to explore new ways to tell the UK glass story and opportunities to partner with even more of the talented artists working with glass. The World of Glass provides the perfect bridge between the country’s glass history and its place in the international contemporary glass scene. It is an absolute cultural gem in the North West.” Brandi Clark, Executive Director, Glass Art Society.
These opportunities will help to secure the future of the World of Glass and support St Helens and the Liverpool City Region, but they need to keep their doors open and they can't do it without you.
How to Help● Please donate and earn one of the tiered rewards.
● Share your memories on social media using *#SaveWorldOfGlass*
They want to hear your stories whether that be about a loved one who worked as part of Pilkingtons or if you visited as a child. Every story is important, they look forward to hearing them.
● Visit with your friends and family! Experience live glass blowing and buy a one-of-a-kind piece of glass in their shop
From the 1st July the World of Glass will be open Wed-Sun and Bank Holidays, 10-4pm. FREE entry, but with recommended donation of £3. FREE parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays. They have a full programme of events and activities going on throughout the summer, so why not visit them and help keep The World of Glass open!
CROWDFUNDER DONATION LINK https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-the-world-of-glass
Topic: St Helens World of Glass is at risk of closure! (Read 13894 times)
