David Livingstone Trust Wins Funding For New Exhibition Thanks To Community Support
September 2019
The David Livingstone Trust has won a £2471 award to fund a new exhibition about the local area, thanks to a major thumbs-up from the local community.
The award from The Coalfields Regeneration Trust was the result of a public vote which took place at Blantyre Leisure Centre. Blantyre is to be the home of a new world-class visitor attraction on the grounds of David Livingstone Birthplace, to open in 2020.
The exhibition, which is still in the planning stages, will celebrate Blantyre and its mining history as part of The Birthplace Project, which will preserve the birthplace and legacy of David Livingstone. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust works with coalfield communities to create programmes focused on employment, skills and health.
The award is the second recent show of public support for the David Livingstone Trust. In January it raised £1141 in a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a traditional Victorian display of the legendary Scottish explorer. The display uses lanterns to create the equivalent of a modern slideshow presentation.
Elena Trimarchi, Learning Manager, David Livingstone Trust, said:
"This is a welcome boost to the valuable work we do and will help launch what we believe is an important exhibition for our local community. We're grateful to The Coalfields Regeneration Trust for making this happen and we look forward to launching another exciting project for the David Livingstone Trust."
David Livingstone Birthplace and its 11-hectare grounds are in the process of being transformed into a world-class visitor attraction as part of the £6.1 million Birthplace Project. The Station Road site in Blantyre includes the iconic Shuttle Row mill-workers' tenement where David Livingstone was born and raised.
The project - which is expected to be complete by 2020 - will include the renewal of the historic buildings, a newly interpreted exhibition which will showcase artefacts from the Trust's collection of 3000 objects, and an upgrade of visitor facilities such as the café and shop.
The Birthplace Project is jointly funded by The National Lottery through The Heritage Lottery Fund (£4.1m), the Scottish Government (£1.3m) and Historic Environment Scotland (£575,000). The main contractor is Clark Contracts Ltd.
You can find out more about the Birthplace Project on our web site.
