Buildings of Glasgow: Former tobacco pipe factory in Glasgow's East End awarded over £1.6 million to open as cultural centre

The seven newly funded projects span the UK from Kent to County Down and Glasgow to the Isles of Scilly, and will reimagine industrial buildings, vessels and sites, protecting this important heritage and give them a new lease of life at the heart of their communities.

Through this investment they will contribute to cultural and social wellbeing, and deliver education and skills development, equipping a new generation with valuable new skills and preserving and passing on the traditional skills needed to protect our precious heritage.

More than £1.6m will enable a former tobacco pipe factory in Glasgow, with stunning brickwork inspired by the Italian Renaissance, to open as a cultural centre in the 100-year old Barras market at the heart of the working-class neighbourhood of Calton. The centre, housed in The Pipe Factory that formerly employed many from the local area, will provide space for exhibitions and events, as well as education and career development opportunities for all the community.

In Fife, plans to rebuild a 1937 herring fishing boat to become a working community asset have been awarded development funding* of £84,856. The Cellardyke Trust will use the development funding to develop its plans for the Manx Beauty and apply for a full National Lottery grant at a later date. If successful, the project will create educational training opportunities and develop practical heritage skills.

Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded over £610million to more than 1,500 industrial, maritime and transport heritage projects across the UK. These initiatives have been made possible through the generous support of National Lottery players, whose contributions continue to play a vital role in the conservation and appreciation of the UK’s unique industrial landscapes and history.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “These innovative buildings, trailblazing transport and pioneering technologies shaped our modern world and are core to our rich industrial heritage. They are a connection to the past, but these fantastic projects ensure that this heritage lives on in the future, equipping a new generation with the skills to maintain the fabric of this heritage, and creatively using these sites for new and imaginative uses at the heart of their communities.

“What unites these projects is recognition of the heritage value of our industrial past, the incredible stories to be told and committed people. We’re delighted that National Lottery funding ensures that this heritage will be valued, cared for, and sustained, for everyone, now and in the future.”