Project: The Centre for Knitting & Crochet

Background to the project

While both the Library and Collection are available to the public by appointment, they currently exist in different parts of the country. As they complement each other perfectly their joint existence would provide comprehensive research and study resources.

The next step is crucial to satisfy three important requirements:

1. To urgently find more storage space to accommodate an increasing number of donations to the Collection/Library.
2. To establish correct storage conditions to preserve the Collection/ Library.
3. To establish an accessible site large enough to house the Library and Collection as a whole.

Success in searching for premises and funding is paramount to the continuing existence of the Guild and the financial backing to go ahead with the purchase of a suitable building would enable the Guild to provide the following:

1. Permanent headquarters for the Guild
2. Research facilities
3. Conservation, essential maintenance and preservation of the Collection
4. A base for a broad and lively education programme for all ages and abilities
5. A public space for the experiencing and viewing of this unique Collection and enhancing awareness of these crafts. The Guild will also provide extensive displays which will focus on the social history of domestic knitting and crochet

All the displays will be supported by educational material such as work sheets linking displays to topics covered in the National Curriculum and to more familiar aspects of schoolchildren's lives

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The aims of this project are:

• Establish a Centre for Knitting & Crochet
• Acquire a building to house the Centre
• Raise sufficient money for the purchase and fitting out, and to cover running expenses for at least two years
• Employ a Manager for the Centre
• Acquire the skills needed to do all this

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The building

The building will be big enough to fulfil the current and future needs of the Centre, estimated at about 40,000 square feet. Although initially too big, this will allow for expansion of the Collection and the Library, plus the activities of the Centre.

If too small at the outset, another building would have to be sought and the whole process of setting up the Centre gone through again. A major factor is that funding may not be available the second time around.

The building will be in a tourist area or on a tourist route in a location easy enough for members from all over the UK (and those from overseas) to get to

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What the Centre will offer

The displays will focus on:

• The social history of domestic knitting and crochet, tracing how the historical development of new yarns, materials for tools and machines have influenced the crafts; the effect of fashion on the type and shape of the items produced; changes in the expectations of the consumers; the effects of the social mores of the time on what was made, how and when
• Fleece to yarn: displays of fleeces with information about their use, and samples to touch; the processes needed to convert raw fleece to useable yarn; hand spinning with wheels to try; weaving with simple looms available; the types of dyes available for domestic use with workshops on how to use them
• Fibres: their origins, structures, qualities, properties and uses. Lots of samples will be available for visitors to handle
• Contemporary and experimental knitting and crochet: display space will be available to offer an arena for young designers, college students, commercial spinners, to bring the "best of the new" to the public's eye and to encourage and support innovation and experimentation
• A hands-on area where visitors can learn to knit and crochet, try new techniques, experiment with new and old tools
• There will be a section for replica garments - copies of items from the Collection or items made from period books and patterns, but using modern yarns, as samples for people to look at, touch and try on
• How-to sections featuring various techniques in detail, with volunteers to demonstrate the techniques whenever possible
• Various sock machines and knitting machines will be on display and, eventually, in working order, for visitors to try (under the supervision of a technician). This will be of particular interest to students following courses in machine knitting. Stripped down machines may be displayed to demonstrate how they work
• High-tech design for textiles: the soft- and hardware available; how to convert a computer-generated design into a piece of knitting or crochet; computers and machine knitting. This section is expected to be of particular interest to students
• All the displays will be supported with educational materials such as worksheets linking displays to topics covered in the National Curriculum and to more familiar aspects of school children's lives

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Other facilities

• Research and study facilities using the Guild Reserve Collection and extensive Library of books, over 150,000 patterns and periodicals dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day
• A lively education programme offering courses for all ages and all levels of skill and ability in a wide variety of yarn-related crafts
• A shop selling hard-to-find tools and books as well as a wide range of appropriate popular merchandise
• Café
• Rooms for hire for evening seminars, lectures, etc; possibly conference facilities
• Exhibition space available for other yarn and textiles related guilds and other organisations
• A headquarters and permanent address for the Knitting & Crochet Guild
• A conservation area for essential maintenance and preservation of the Collection

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Rent or Purchase?

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Managing the Centre

The Centre Sub-committee is looking into schemes whereby the building and the contents of the building can be separate entities but both under the control of the Guild, so that, should the project fail, only the building would be lost. The Library, Collection and all inside the building will remain the property of the Guild with the Executive Committee as Trustees and there will be no financial risk to the Executive Committee or to Guild members. Provided the proper scheme is put into place, the 'managers' of the building can have this protection and be a registered charity.

Such schemes are being investigated, professional advice sought, and the best scheme for the Guild will be put into operation at the most suitable time. At no time will there be any financial risk to members or the Executive Committee

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Employing a manager

The Committee has considered at length the question of whether to employ a Curator or a Manager. As part of the Museums & Galleries Commission Registration Scheme, we have to have a Curator or find the part-time advisory services of a professional 'Curatorial Advisor'. This would be a local museum Curator with some expertise in textiles (if not in knitting and crochet), who would work closely with us, as part of his/her Personal Development, to guide us through the stages of Registration. Some of the Collection Sub-committee have attended courses on documentation, care of textiles and costume, and correct storage conditions, and have worked for several years to catalogue, preserve and store the Guild Collection, although they have no formal qualifications in this area. Extensive knowledge about knitting and crochet is held by members of the Guild. However, none of the Centre Sub-committee or the Guild Executive Committee has any experience of managing a large building. It is, therefore, this expertise that would have to be paid for initially. If funds were available, we would also employ a professionally qualified Curator, a Librarian, an Education Officer, Shop Manager, as well as cleaners and Security Officers.

Initially the Centre will rely heavily on volunteers as guides and demonstrators and to help in the shop and café. A Personal Development programme will be set in place to enable those volunteers who so wish to work towards NVQ qualifications

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The Museums & Galleries Commission Registration Scheme

This scheme sets standards for 'best practice' in all the various areas covered by museum work: cataloguing, documentation (ie maintaining detailed and accurate information about all the items in the Collection and their location), storage, environmental conditions (ie controlled temperature, light and humidity, pest control), conservation and preservation, education and proper management.

Achieving Registration opens the door for certain grant-aid and also confers professional approval of an establishment. The Guild could apply for provisional Registration without a building. You know from reports in SlipKnot that the Collection Group has been gradually improving standards of documentation and storage over the last few years with a view to applying for Registration.

A successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund will almost certainly include the condition that the Guild should achieve Registration within a specified time (perhaps two years). It is therefore essential that working towards Registration should be given priority

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Acquiring skills

There are several ways that this will be done:

• Various organisations put on courses aimed at voluntary organisations like the Guild, to teach the various skills needed to achieve projects outside our usual sphere of expertise
• Area Museums Councils such as Yorkshire & Humberside Museums Council (YHMC) of which the Guild is an Associate Member, also offer courses and support
• Two members of YHMC will work very closely with the Guild over the Lottery application
• The Guild will also join the Association of Independent Museums and the Museums Association
• The Guild will draw on Business in the Arts Business Skills Placement Scheme, where professionals with specific skills work with an organisation to complete a specific task within a defined period of time
• Members and their families and friends could donate their time and expertise in such areas as legal, conveyancing, insurance advice, tax, bookkeeping/accounts/auditing, initial cleaning of the building, decorating, DIY/maintenance-type jobs, setting up permanent displays and temporary exhibitions, National Curriculum advice and development, preparing Business Plans, preparing Lottery bids, Marketing, Human resource management, managing volunteers, building management and maintenance, buying commercial buildings, Health and Safety requirements, museum and exhibition design

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Funding

The Guild will apply for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant towards the purchase of the building. This will cover a maximum of 75% of the cost of purchase and fitting out. Until the building is secured, the purchase price and cost of repairs and fitting out is unknown.

However, funds will be needed to cover running costs until the Centre is established. It is assumed that it will become self-financing within four years. We would therefore like to raise enough funds to cover this period - another £400,000.

The Guild is looking to raise a minimum of £1,500,000

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Fundraising

We realise that £1,500,000 is a formidable sum of money to raise and we are not asking Guild members to raise it all. Grants and funding will be applied for, there will be a Public Appeal and other ways of raising money will be investigated and applied. However, we must rely on Guild members to raise money to some extent as some funding will only be looked on favourably if members are actively fundraising themselves

• A separate account has been opened for The Centre for Knitting & Crochet with £1,000 from Guild reserves
• There will be a Public Appeal for funds, headed by a well-known figure (or two) likely to attract maximum media, craftworker and industry interest
• It is hoped that the building will generate some income through a café and a shop; these could both be open to the general public
• Initially some office/workshop space could be rented on short-term contracts
• The Guild intends to expand its trading programme. This will necessitate the establishment of a company limited by guarantee that will covenant all its profits to the Guild. The company will offer a mail order service, eventually on the Internet, to attract sales from members and non-members alike
• An expansion of the Guild's publications programme will attract wide interest and increased sales through increased publicity
• The Guild will apply to Charitable Trusts and other grant-giving organisations for help with specific parts of the project
• Sponsors will be sought for other parts of the project
• Can you lend us a fiver? Every member and Group/Branch is encouraged to lend the Guild five pounds to be used to raise funds for the Centre. How the money is used is up to the ingenuity, energy, enthusiasm of the member and what help s/he can obtain. The five pounds could hire a car boot sale pitch, buy refreshments for a coffee morning (with or without a bring and buy), buy yarns for a sale of work, pay for room hire and/or refreshments for an auction or Dutch auction or auction of promises. At the end of the event the lent five pounds will be reclaimed by the member or Group/Branch and the remainder sent to Centre funds (or used for a further fundraising event)
• Groups/Branches and members are encouraged to run Webb Ivory or Studio Cards catalogues. Each order attracts 25% discount (profit) minus postage and that is to be donated to the Centre funds. Groups and Branches could keep half for their own funds as an incentive to fundraise
• Members are asked to save and donate coupons, loyalty points, etc where money or gifts in kind can be obtained in exchange after negotiation (by the Executive Committee) with the coupon, loyalty points administrators
• A Grand Draw in 2000, to be drawn at the AGM. Members need not purchase tickets themselves but ask their friends, colleagues and relatives to do so. An arrangement could be made so that Groups/Branches keep half of the proceeds of the tickets they sell as an incentive to fundraise
• Assuming our Lottery bid is successful, every £1 raised would win us £3 from the Heritage Lottery Fund – and so would be worth £4
• Every £1 covenanted would gain 23p as a tax rebate, plus £3.69 from the Heritage Lottery Fund – and so would be worth £4.92
• A certificate scheme will be put into operation to give fundraisers recognition for their hard work: Raise £10+ = Certificate Raise £100+ = Ton-up certificate Raise £1,000+ = Bronze certificate Raise £5,000+ = Silver certificate Raise £10,000+ = Gold certificate Raise £25,000+ = Platinum certificate
• A number of appropriate lower amount certificates can be traded-in for a higher amount certificate (e.g. four certificates, for £10, £30, £30, and £45, can be traded-in for a Ton-up certificate)

Funds raised and donations to the Centre for Knitting & Crochet should be sent to:

Knitting & Crochet Guild PO Box 4421, Kidderminster DY11 6YW

Cheques should be made payable to: 'Knitting & Crochet Guild'

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Time Scale

From the firm offer of a building, it will take 3-6 months to gather all the information and documents needed to complete the Lottery Application form. During this time the Centre Sub-committee will work closely with two members of the Yorkshire & Humberside Museums Council who are available to offer guidance and advice on all aspects of our Lottery bid. It takes a further 6 months for the application to be assessed and two more months for formal contracts to be drawn up. This means that we have about 12 months to raise the money. However, Lottery money is paid in arrears, i.e. the work has to have been completed and an invoice submitted (and probably paid), so a separate capital fund is needed to avoid cash flow problems.

[This account was produced by Liz Gillett assisted by Pauline Hornsby and others, December 1999]

For further information, please contact:

Knitting & Crochet Guild
PO Box 4421, Kidderminster DY11 6YW

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