Paisley Thread Mill Museum launches plea for donations as it fights for survival

The Paisley Thread Mill Museum has missed out on vital streams of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic and warns it may not have a future if it doesn’t secure funds to continue.

The facility was established in 2003 to celebrate the Renfrewshire town’s textile heritage as generations of Buddies have worked in the mills, the last of which closed in 1993.

The museum is entirely run by volunteers and has relatively low costs of around £3000 per year to keep afloat. Committee member Paula Reynolds said: “Normally we kind of manage to tick along through self funding, donations and memberships and people buying souvenirs when they’re in to visit us, but obviously since Covid, that’s all gone a bit wrong.”

The museum has been closed since March last year but has plans to re-open again. Housed in the striking red-sandstone Mile End Mill which was previously home to the Coats and Clark family mills in the town, the museum has limited opening hours but is a “vital” part of Paisley’s industrial past.

Paula added: “Really what we’re asking people to do is think about: would you want the museum to be there in the future and I think people would. It’s an important part of Paisley’s heritage, the thread industry and the textiles industry in general.

“You just have to look at the street names. The streets are called after fabrics and some of the streets are named after the jobs people did.

“The heart of the town is based on the people who worked here and it shouldn’t be lost.

“I know how important it is. I’ve used Coats threads. It’s important to keep it alive.”

The museum is popular with people who have worked there in the past and are growing older - especially those who have developed dementia. Paula said: “People are very touched when they come and see and they’ll say: I know about that! Particularly as the generation that worked there grow older or get health problems and things like dementia, you see them come to life when they come in because they see things that they remember and that for us, is the important thing.”

A fundraiser has now been launched for people to donate to. Paula added:”There is a number of things people can do: share the appeal with people so we can reach as many people as possible. We’re also asking if they could, to spare us some cash. Even just £1 could make the difference and just preserve that history that’s there.”

The project will soon open to visitors again on a limited basis and the first day with volunteer guides will be Saturday September 4 from 12-4. Anybody who is interested in visiting should check the facebook page ahead of time here where readers will also be able to find a link to the online fundraiser.