Save the National Glass Centre campaign meeting update

A public meeting at City Hall in Sunderland on 19 November 2025 hosted more than 120 supporters of the campaign to save the National Glass Centre (NGC) from closure in 2026.

At the gathering, leaders of the Save the NGC group called on the local authority for support to hold the site owner, the University of Sunderland, to account and suspend the closure of the iconic building to allow time for a considered alternative plan to be put in place.

As part of the presentation on the challenges and choices that could be made for the NGC, campaign chair Carolyn Basing stated, “The most important act the council can take at the moment is to persuade the university to pause its closure plans.”

Ideas suggested for the future of the NGC by the campaign team included expanding its online offer, renting out empty spaces for conferences and making it a ‘heritage hub’.

Caroline Basing acknowledged, “We fully accept that the building needs work, but the business model within the building also needs a lot of work.”

However, council leader Michael Mordey, who is also on the university’s board of governors, reiterated that the NGC had been running at a significant loss for a long time, and that the decision to close it was “fixed”. He added that the proposed Glassworks site was a “perfectly viable option”.

He did note that he would be supportive of other options that had been mentioned in the meeting, such as the National Trust’s proposed Safe Harbour scheme that aimed to protect heritage assets at risk of disposal and degradation.

Meanwhile a university spokesperson said there had been “no credible plan” put forward on how the running costs would be met.

The campaign team was buoyed by the turnout on the night, calling it “inspiring” and “a clear demonstration that the people of Sunderland care deeply about the future of the National Glass Centre – enough to show up, speak up and stand together.”

Following the meeting, the group created an open letter and action list for the council leader, which are available online via this link, and called on supporters to “share them, sign them and send them”. The campaign petition on Change.org stands at over 38,000 signatures and can be signed via this link.

They concluded, “This campaign is far from over – but with your support, it is stronger than ever. Keep sharing. Keep talking. Keep pushing. Together, we will make sure that the National Glass Centre’s light does not go out.”

Image: (left to right) Campaigners Nigel Taylor, Carolyn Basing and Anne Loadman making their case at the public meeting.