Mackintosh at the Willow in Glasgow under threat following coronavirus pandemic
It's currently the last surviving Charles Rennie Mackintosh tea rooms.
Last updated 6th Jun 2020
The future of Scotland’s most famous tearoom is under threat due to the impact of coronavirus.
Mackintosh at the Willow on Sauchiehall Street is asking for the public to save the non-profit organisation from closure and to protect the jobs of the young people it employs.
The tearooms, first opened by Miss Catherine Cranston in 1903 and designed by world famous architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, fell into disrepair for years, before being restored by the charity The Willow Tea Rooms Trust.
The building was re-opened to the public in 2018, shortly after the Glasgow School of Art fire, as a tearoom and exhibition space named Mackintosh at the Willow.
It now operates as a working tearoom, serving Scottish food and drink to locals and tourists.
Many of its staff members are employed through The Prince's Trust training programme.
It's now under threat due to the impact of coronavirus, and the organisation is asking for donations to help them raise enough funds in order keep the last remaining Charles Rennie Mackintosh tea rooms open.
Caitlin Divers, operations manager at Mackintosh at the Willow, said: "We have worked so hard to get us to the point that we're at now and the thought of losing that, the thought of losing the art, the history the heritage - it would be such a shame to lose that.
"It's so important to Scottish heritage - it's the last surviving Charles Rennie Mackintosh tea rooms and it's been with us since 1903.
"I think with the Art School unfortunately gone, with a lot of Mackintosh's designs unfortunately falling into disrepair, it's really important that we're able to protect it."
Pauline Young, managing director, said: "The job retention scheme has been really appreciated from our perspective because it's enabled us to safeguard the team.
"We are applying for as many grant applications as we can, it depends if we're successful in those applications, but even with that we won't have sufficient funds.
"We appreciate that everyone is going through a really challenging time at this moment in time but we're asking anyone who would be kind enough to have a little bit of extra cash if they could donate to help us through these really challenging times."
You can help by donating here.
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