'City suffering a demolition of the glass centre on false pretences'

Campaigners have called for support from Sunderland City Council and the public to help explore options to save the National Glass Centre.

- by Nick Marko

The National Glass Centre is due to close in July 2026.

It comes after a public meeting was held at Sunderland City Hall on Wednesday evening, which saw more than 100 people attend - including city councillors from all parties and local authority leader Cllr Michael Mordey.

The National Glass Centre (NGC) is due to close in July 2026, with owners the University of Sunderland citing unaffordable repair costs - stressing their decision "remains fixed."

Campaigners hosting the meeting called for alternative ownership options to be looked at for the glass centre and for Sunderland City Council to help lobby the university to pause the closure and demolition plans.

Campaign chair Carolyn Basing said: "It's clear to us that the relationship between the university and the NGC is at an end, but that doesn't mean the NGC has to close and be demolished.

"We fully accept that the building needs work, but the business model within the building also needs a lot of work.

"We are asking Sunderland City Council to use its influence to get the university to pause the closure and start negotiating."

Campaigners urged any interested members of the public to join their crusade and help in any way they can.

Ms Basing added: "Overall, we would like to emphasise more than anything else that closing and demolishing the NGC will cause immense cultural and economic damage locally, regionally and nationally.

"There are some serious challenges, what we would like to do is not easy, but it is doable, and much of what we are hoping to achieve is just very simply to gather the expertise together to fix the place."