Sir Joseph Whitworth gifted the Whitworth Institute to the people of Darley Dale in September 1890, and we gained a valuable community centre and a fabulous green space. In 2007, the Town Council established a Charitable Trust, led by Councillors and volunteer trustees, to manage the Whitworth on behalf of the residents. The new Trust set out to cover operating costs through grants, events, community groups, and the café, with financial support from the Town Council to cover any shortfall needed for maintenance of the Grade 2 listed building and park.  

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In 2023 trustees of the Trust announced a £1 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a project called Heart of the Park. These funds were to be allocated for extensive new developments such as a restored Victorian Terrace and a Heritage Centre. The project hinged on The Whitworth Trust also raising over £100k in match funding, in addition to the Lottery grant, to contribute to the total cost of the proposals.  

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In early 2024 it quickly became evident that the existing building required significant investment. The boilers need replacing, the roof needs repairs and the play equipment in the park is outdated and unsafe, amongst other maintenance issues.  However, the initial project approved by the Heritage Fund would not help us with these urgent maintenance costs. Unfortunately, work by the trustees on these urgent maintenance priorities means that our progress to develop the Heart of the Park proposals have fallen behind schedule and consequently no funds have been received from the the Heritage Fund. 

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Given the timescales, the trustees have reluctantly decided to withdraw from the the Heritage Fund project to focus on the immediate maintenance issues. To achieve this we are collaborating with the Town Council on smaller, more immediate improvements including new play equipment for the park, enhanced lighting and access, and upgrades to the café. A current priority is securing funding to replace the boilers in the basement so that the building can be properly heated. We expect this to cost in the region of £50,000.   

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Between 2020 and 2023, the Town Council gave just over a third (£50- 60,000) of its total income to the Whitworth so that it can continue to service the community with the park, the terrace, the meeting spaces and community activities. Since 2023, due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic on income, the investment from the Town Council has risen further. At the end of this financial year (March 2025) it is expected that the grant will be just over £100k. The grant will be targeted on the building, health and safety, general repairs/maintenance and the café.  

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The trustees have worked with the Town Council to agree a turnaround plan for the trading side of the charity and how investment in the fabric of the building will be prioritised. We have seen progress against our targets for income and cost control over the past few months and have set a cautious budget for 2025/2026. We would like to thank our amazing staff team for going above and beyond to make sure that the Whitworth stays open for the community to enjoy. We have recently made a number of key appointments to the team to help set the Whitworth up for the future.  We would also like to thank the Councillors and staff of Darley Dale Town Council for their continued support of the Whitworth as we face into these challenges and plan for the future together.    

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Chris Ragg 

Chair, The Whitworth board of trustees