We’re delighted to announce that The World of Glass has been awarded £286,000 through Arts Council England’s Museum Renewal Fund released from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
£20 million has been released from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Renewal Fund, to support museums in stabilising their financial situation and building towards sustainable and thriving futures.
We have been awarded £286,000, and along with the success of our recent Crowdfunder, means we can now develop long-term plans to help us thrive at the heart of St Helens’ communities.
We couldn’t do this without you, thank you for all your support!
With the new Museum Renewal funding, we will be able to:
• Bring exhibitions to life – showcasing incredible St Helens stories and collections in new and exciting ways to make them more accessible for everyone.
• Better care for our collections – working with conservators to give each piece the specialist care it needs, so it can be treasured and displayed for our future generations.
• Empower young volunteers – opening doors in the arts and heritage sector for young people, with more opportunities to learn new skills, gain confidence, and make a real difference.
• Keep glassmaking alive – supporting our talented team and apprentices as they grow and learn to push the boundaries of this traditional craft and inspire our visitors.
We want to make sure your museum is never at risk again—so that generations to come will continue to enjoy our galleries, exhibitions, and activities celebrating the art and history of glass, and the unique stories that make St Helens its epicentre.
Thank you again for your help so far. We couldn’t have achieved so much without you.
Our Crowdfunder supporters raised an incredible £27,000 in under three months. On top of that we received generous donations and support from community fundraisers, local businesses and grant funders
We can now confirm that The World of Glass has reached a grand total of £87,000, exceeding its original target of £50,000
We are breathing a collective sigh of relief – because now we can continue with our journey to secure the future of The World of Glass for good, and bring you exciting new exhibitions, engaging events and unforgettable experiences.
We’re proud to remain a free museum for everyone, committed to sharing art and culture with everyone. Thanks to your support, our doors will remain open — and together, we can keep them that way.
We have so much to look forward to including The International Festival of Glass (ifg.org.uk) which will be hosted in St Helens for the very first time. The Glass Art Society (GAS) (Glass Art Society – Glass Art Society) 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. We are now excited to be able to prepare for the festival next year and look forward to being able to welcome everyone and shine a light on St Helens rich glass history and celebrate the future of glass.
How to support and keep updated
We are open Wed-Sun and Bank Holidays, 10-4pm. FREE entry, but with a recommended donation of £3. FREE parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
We have a full programme of events and activities going on throughout the Autumn/Winter, (What’s On – The World of Glass) visit us and help keep The World of Glass open!
