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Glass centre auction expected to have raised £33k

Pamela BilalovaNorth East and Cumbria
BBC The multi-storey National Glass Centre building is mostly made of glass and grey panels. It is by the River Wear and has a seating area in front of it. Two seagulls are flying in the clear blue sky above. The building is very industrial looking with a steel roof that extends out beyond the building below to create what looks like a walkway. BBC
Almost 200 National Glass Centre items were auctioned off by the University of Sunderland

More than £33,000 is thought to have been raised in an auction of equipment from the doomed National Glass Centre (NGC), the building's custodian has said.

The University of Sunderland, whose sale of items including kilns and furnaces closed on Thursday, said it "expected" the figure raised to be £33,266, but did not detail what the funds would be used for.

Other specialist equipment from the site is set to be donated to Sunderland Culture for use in the planned Glassworks project in the city.

The Save the National Glass Centre group, which opposes the closure of the facility, had called on the university to stop the sale and claimed some of the items had been bought with public funds.

"The 2013 remodelling and refit of parts of the NGC included replacement furnaces which are now for sale," a spokesperson said ahead of the auction concluding.

"Whilst the University invested £975,000, Arts Council England also contributed £750,000 through its Large Capital Programme and Heritage Lottery Fund contributed £337,000 towards the total cost of renovation.

"Those furnaces are now offered for sale for a pittance of their original cost."

Save the National Glass Centre About nine members of Save the National Glass Centre campaign group are standing outside the empty building. They are holding signs calling on the university to stop the proposed demolition of the venue. They are middle aged. There are four women and five men. Some of them are smiling. A large sign reading 50,000 + is placed in front of the group. It refers to the number of signatures in their petition to save the centre. Save the National Glass Centre
Campaigners against the NGC closure demonstrated outside the building on Wednesday

The university said the auction was part of work to clear and secure the building following its closure on 31 July, but other items from the NGC would be used to secure glassmaking in the city.

A spokesperson said: "The university continues to follow all planning rules and guidelines in relation to the site."

The NGC shut down amid claims it needed significant remedial work at a cost of between £14m and £45m, but campaigners have disputed the accuracy of the repair bill.

Last month it was confirmed the vacant building would be fenced off following a number of attempted break-ins.

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