Derbyshire quarrying firm announces £100,000 sponsorship deal with National Stone Centre

Longcliffe Quarries Ltd will donate £100,000 to the NSC over the next five years, starting with an initial £20,000 to remodel the venue’s education facilities and enhance the experience for visitors including schools, student groups and the general public.

Work will also take place on the ‘Story of Stone’ exhibition – detailing millions of years of Derbyshire’s geologic history – to make the space more accessible, revamp of the presentation of exhibits and create new interactive displays.

The company’s managing directory Paul Boustead said: “Quarrying and the minerals industry have played a major role in the industrial heritage of this area for hundreds of years.

“Longcliffe itself has been a major employer for almost 100 years so we are delighted to join forces with the National Stone Centre to support its short- and longer-term goals.”

He added: “The centre is already a popular facility for educational visits. We hope that through our funding, the Learning Zone can become even more of a success story, telling the story of quarrying to a wider audience and reaching out to potential employees and leaders of the future.”

Phase two of the sponsorship will involve an £80,000 donation towards the NSC’s ambitious plans to develop a brand new £6.5million visitor centre, currently under consideration by Derbyshire Dales District Council.

The NSC merged with the Institute of Quarrying (IQ) last year, with the new organisation aiming to make the site the leading UK facility promoting the mineral products sector, alongside state-of-the-art learning facilities to its workforce.

Longcliffe’s former managing director Viv Russell, who retired from the company in 2022, was subsequently named IQ president in October.

James Thorne, IQ chief executive, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Longcliffe for their generosity and support of our vision for the future at the National Stone Centre. The mineral products industry has a vital role in enhancing our everyday lives.

“Through the NSC we want to demonstrate how the professionals working in the sector both today and in the future will continue to have a positive impact for our collective economic and environmental benefit.”

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