The Willow Tea Rooms Trust was established in 2014 as a charity with the aim of acquiring Miss Cranston’s Tea Rooms at 217 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. The building is now in ownership of the Trust.
The formal objective is to restore the building to Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s 1903 design whilst ensuring its preservation for subsequent generations. The historic building and its interiors were under threat, but it reopened as ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ in June 2018. Mackintosh at the Willow will operate as a social enterprise, creating new employment, volunteer, work experience, training and development opportunities.
A partnership with Dumfries House and The Prince’s Trust provides training and employment opportunities for front of house and kitchen staff within the re-opened social enterprise.
Barcapel awarded a £25,000 grant to be used towards the education, learning and engagement costs of the project including outreach programmes with local schools and community groups.
The trustees decision was based on:
- The historical importance of the Tea Rooms as part of Scotland and Glasgow’s heritage.
- The Tea Rooms can be a catalyst for the regeneration of this part of Glasgow
- The increased impact of the partnership with the Prince’s Trust
