About New Lanark Trust
New Lanark Trust (Registered Charity SC008552) established 1974, reconstituted 1983.
New Lanark was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2001. New Lanark Trust remains true to its original aim of ensuring that New Lanark is not a museum, but a living, working community, which is a major source of employment and commercial activity in the Clydesdale area. New Lanark Trust owns most of the historic buildings in the World Heritage Site, and has many fine examples of restoration projects which demonstrate that Category A Listed Buildings can be converted for new uses without losing the essential historic character, ensuring a sustainable future for them, and allowing them to be enjoyed and appreciated for many generations to come.
This amazing complex of historic buildings now provides a range of visitor facilities with award-winning exhibitions and interpretation, as well as residential, hotel, self-catering and conference accommodation. New Lanark welcomes around 300,000 visitors from all over the world, as well as engendering a sense of real pride in the many local people who have played a part in the restoration of the buildings over the past decades.
There is a resident population living in 45 rented properties and 20 privately owned houses, as well as a vibrant mixture of businesses based in the village. In addition, the Trust has three wholly-owned trading subsidiaries. All surpluses from the commercial operations are returned to the Trust to be reinvested in New Lanark and the subsidiaries are the Trust’s main source of revenue.
The Trust and its subsidiary companies provide employment for around 165 people from the local area, with a further 70 or so employed by other businesses operating in New Lanark. In addition, many local Lanark businesses provide a range of goods and services to New Lanark which makes a very significant contribution to the regional economy, estimated at around £7-8 million per annum.
New Lanark Trading Ltd. established in 1989. New Lanark Trading operates the Visitor Attraction (permanent exhibitions in six of the buildings, retail, catering, educational programme and hydro-electricity production). New Lanark attracts visitors and educational groups from all over world, with up to 25% of paying visitors coming from overseas. Using historic textile machinery, New Lanark produces its own range of pure wool knitting yarn, which is sold world-wide. Hydro-electricity is generated using the historic water-power systems and we self-supply the Hotel and Visitor Centre buildings; surplus electricity is exported to the grid. In 2013, New Lanark Trust acquired a local ice-cream manufacturing company. We produce a high quality range of traditional dairy ice-creams and sorbets, which are supplied to wholesale customers and retailed at New Lanark.
New Lanark Hotels Ltd. established 1997. New Lanark Trust owns and operates the 38 bedroom New Lanark Mill Hotel, 8 self-catering apartments, and 18 bed Hostel. Over 650 people from the local area are members of the Health & Fitness Club, based at the Hotel’s Leisure Suite, and the Hotel and Visitor Centre provide excellent facilities for weddings, celebrations, conferences and business meetings.
New Lanark Homes Ltd. (Registered Charity No. SC040714) established 2009. New Lanark Homes has charitable status. Through this company New Lanark Trust administers 45 rented properties in the village of New Lanark. This accommodation is social housing, and is managed on a not-for-profit basis. Rental income is reinvested in maintaining the properties and improving village amenities.
However impressive the heritage, and the achievements to date, a strong vision and strategy needs to be implemented to ensure a sustainable future for the village. Today the Trust is in transition from the organisation that co-ordinated the conservation, restoration and regeneration of the village into one with a changing long-term focus. This change of focus will mean forging new relationships and finding innovative ways to make progress in circumstances which present continuing and ever-changing challenges.
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