Christina McKelvie MSP has warmly welcomed the news that the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre will remain open. The SNP MSP for Central Scotland has thrown her weight behind the campaign to save the Centre from the threat of closure that has hung over it in recent months. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) announced on 3 July that combined funding from South Lanarkshire Council, the Centre’s trustees and a private donor mean that the Centre will remain open, under the combined management of NTS, the council and the Centre’s Trust.

Christina said:
“This is wonderful news. It comes as a huge relief to me, as it will to the staff and trustees of the Centre and all those who have campaigned so hard to save it. They are to be congratulated on their persistence and hard work.

“The David Livingstone Centre is a jewel in Lanarkshire’s crown. I am delighted that future generations of Scots and visitors from across the world will continue to be able to learn about and gain inspiration from Livingstone’s life and legacy.

“I would like to put on record my gratitude to the generous private donor whose support for the Centre has helped to make today’s announcement possible.

“I also commend South Lanarkshire Council, which has consistently recognised the importance of the David Livingstone Centre to Lanarkshire’s cultural life and local economy and has attempted to find a solution to this crisis from the outset.

“I regret that this announcement was not made earlier in the year when the council made its original offer of increased funding, which the National Trust for Scotland turned down. However, their chief executive Kate Mavor deserves credit for the willingness she has shown latterly to learn from NTS’s earlier mistakes and work with others to find a way forward. I hope that this signals a new, more positive attitude on the part of NTS and that the long term future of the David Livingstone Centre is now secure.”