This year marks 25 years since Anna Plowden Trustee Nell Hoare became Director of the Textile Conservation Centre ​(TCC).

Nell became Director of the TCC in 1991 and led its merger with the University of Southampton in 1999, enabling the transition of the textile conservation programme into a masters’, a new MA in museum studies, and the development of the commercial conservation service alongside an active research culture.

Following the University of Southampton’s decision to close the TCC, Nell played a fundamental role in securing a new home for the programme at the University of Glasgow.

Nell has been active in textile conservation education since the TCC closed in 2009, becoming consultant to the Textile Conservation Foundation (TCF) and playing an integral role in raising funds for the new  Centre for Textile Conservation (CTC) at the University of Glasgow.

Since the new centre opened in 2010, Nell has been intrinsic to its success, raising nearly £1.25 million to support the move and fund student bursaries and equipment.

Professor Frances Lennard​ said “We are hugely indebted to Nell for her continuing support which makes such an enormous difference to the ability of students to take up their places on the programme and in enabling us to buy cutting-edge equipment.”

In recognition of her contribution, Nell received a vintage silver photo frame presented by the TCF and a special card created by two of the second year students and signed by everyone at the CTC and TCF. 

Nell has been a Trustee of the Anna Plowden Trust since 2001.