LEATHER CONSERVATION CENTRE(THE)

What LEATHER CONSERVATION CENTRE(THE) does

The Leather Conservation Centre (LCC) is a UK registered charity (No: 276485) founded in 1978 that operates as a specialist centre for the conservation of historic leather, skin, and animal membrane materials. The organisation serves three primary customer groups: heritage institutions (museums, cathedrals, historic houses such as Rochester Cathedral and Bantry House), private clients (including collectors of vintage items such as a 1908 Argyll motor car), and heritage professionals seeking continuing professional development. It also extends services to government clients such as the London Irish Rifles regimental museum.

The LCC's core offering is built around a full conservation studio delivering interventive treatment, condition assessment, collection surveys, preventive conservation, conservation packaging, storage and display services, material identification and analysis, and specialist research. Underlying capabilities are anchored in the Betty Haines Archive, a digital reference resource containing over 600 skin and leather samples from species worldwide, complemented by specialist literature (including works by B.M. Haines and T. Sturge) and rare reference materials such as Metta Catharina Russia leather. The organisation also produces and sells specialist conservation materials, notably SC7400 Acrylic Wax and Selladerm leather dyes.

Revenue is generated through four streams: professional conservation services (custom-priced, bespoke), unit-priced sale of conservation products and publications (e.g., £11.50–£25 per unit), and fee-based education and CPD courses (delivered through venues such as West Dean College). Distribution is direct via email and bank transfer for products, and via consultation-led engagement for services. The organisation is supported financially by The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers, the National Lottery Fund, and other livery companies (Saddlers, Glovers, Cordwainers, Curriers). In 2025, the LCC relocated from Northampton to Canopy in Leicester, where it maintains a full conservation studio serving national and international clients.

Name

LEATHER CONSERVATION CENTRE(THE)

Legal name

The Leather Conservation Centre

Website

https://leatherconservation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Leather Conservation Centre is a UK registered charity founded in 1978 that provides specialist conservation, research, and education services for historic leather, skin, and related materials to heritage institutions, private clients, and heritage professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Conservation Services

NAICS

Footwear and Leather Goods Repair (811430)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100)

akta.pro primary industry

Leather, Suede & Fur Dry Cleaning / Restoration (HSAJADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leather Cleaning (Non-Suede) (HSAJAHAA), Leather Repair (Tears, Holes, Seam/Panel Repair) (HSAJAHAE)

Keywords

• Leather conservation services
• Heritage artifact restoration
• Preventive conservation
• Conservation materials supply
• Conservation professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

MOULTON PARK NORTHAMPTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Conservation Services: Full conservation studio offering preservation services from analysis and material identification to full conservation treatment and care advice for heritage leather objects
2. Products and Materials: Sale of specialist leather conservation materials including SC7400 Acrylic Wax, leather dyes, and specialist literature. Products temporarily unavailable due to relocation.
3. Publications: Sale of leather conservation publications including works by B.M. Haines and T. Sturge, and other leather-related publications
4. Education and Courses: Professional courses, workshops, and educational programs on leather conservation for heritage professionals and special interest groups

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Leather Conservation Centre provides specialist conservation services for historic leather, skin, parchment, and related materials, including identification and analysis, interventive treatment (patching, consolidation, acrylic fills), condition assessment, collection surveys, storage and display advice, conservation packaging, and consultation. It complements these services with conservation materials (e.g. SC7400 Acrylic Wax, leather dyes), specialist publications, structured education (CPD courses, workshops), and applied research anchored by the Betty Haines Archive of over 600 reference samples.

Product overview

The Leather Conservation Centre operates as a conservation organisation offering leather conservation services and related products. The core offering includes professional conservation services (ID and Analysis, Interventive Treatment, Condition Assessment, Collection Survey, Storage and Display Services, Preventive Conservation, Conservation Packaging, Consultation Services, Specialist Research) alongside a product catalogue of conservation materials (SC7400 Acrylic Wax, Leather Dyes including Selladerm and Sellafix products) and publications on leather and parchment conservation. The Centre also maintains the Betty Haines Archive as a research resource. Founded in 1978 and based in Leicester, the organisation focuses on historic leather, skin, and animal membrane conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conservation Services Full conservation studio offering ID and analysis, interventive treatment, condition assessment, collection surveys, storage and display services, preventive conservation, conservation packaging, consultation services and specialist research for heritage institutions and private clients.
• SC7400 Acrylic Wax
• Leather Dyes and Fixatives (Selladerm and Sellafix ranges)
• Parchment: The physical and chemical characteristics of parchment and the materials used in its conservation
• The Conservation of Leather Artefacts: Case Studies from the Leather Conservation Centre
• Surface Coatings for Binding Leathers
• Leather Manufacture in the Post Medieval Period
• Professional Conservation Courses and Workshops
• Betty Haines Archive

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 65 hours of specialist conservation treatment for complex projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ICON (UK Institute of Conservation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ICON organised the Heritage Lottery Fund Training Bursaries Programme through which the LCC hosted an ICON-HLF intern (Tonya Outtram) for 12 months to learn practical, scientific, technical and academic aspects of leather conservation.
• West Dean CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partner for Conservation of Leather CPD course run as part of West Dean's Professional Conservators in Practice programme. The course covers historic technology, chemistry and use of leather and current practices in its conservation.
• ICOM CC Leather Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Council of Museums Committee for Conservation Leather working group. Rosie Bolton serves as coordinator, advancing research and best practices in leather conservation globally.
• Archaeological Leather Group (ALG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArianne Panton serves as Chair of the ALG, advancing archaeological leather research and conservation.
• University of NorthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected through alumni including William Tusting (alumni of Institute for Creative Leather Technologies) and Anne Lama (PhD from University of Northampton). The LCC collaborates on research with the university.
• Betty Haines ArchivecoreOthersOnline archive of over 600 skin and leather samples managed by the LCC, freely accessible to researchers. Contains samples digitised from Betty Haines' collection.
• Museum of Leathercraft / National Leather CollectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinked organisation referenced on the LCC website as a useful link for visitors. Associated through the leather conservation and heritage sector network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Museum of Leathercraft (National Leather Collection): The UK's dedicated leather heritage museum, explicitly linked from LCC's website as a sister organization. Operates in the same leather heritage/conservation niche and shares audience and donor overlap with LCC.
• The Textile Conservation Centre (University of Glasgow): A UK specialist heritage materials conservation centre with the same model of studio treatment, research, and training — but focused on textiles rather than leather. Closely comparable in scale, structure, and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• English Heritage: Major UK heritage organization that commissions leather conservation work and operates its own conservation advisory functions. Represents a much larger potential buyer and reference point in the same heritage sector.
• The National Trust: Large UK heritage charity that cares for historic houses and collections containing significant leather artefacts (upholstery, books, wall coverings). A key institutional customer segment that commissions conservation services similar to LCC's offerings.

Emerging players

• West Dean College: Runs the 'Professional Conservators in Practice' CPD programme that hosts LCC's annual Conservation of Leather course. Comparable in that both deliver specialist heritage conservation training, though West Dean is broader (multi-material).

Others

• ICON (Institute of Conservation): UK professional body for conservators that maintains the Conservation Register on which LCC is listed. Comparable as an ecosystem participant supporting heritage conservation standards and practitioner accreditation.
• ICOM-CC (International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation): Global professional body whose Leather working group is coordinated by LCC's Head of Centre. Functions as a peer network and standards body across the international heritage conservation community.

Regional players

• Tusting (Leather Goods): Heritage leather goods maker whose co-founder William Tusting serves as LCC's Chairman of Trustees. Operates in the adjacent leather craft domain in the UK with overlapping heritage positioning and access to the same supplier networks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LCCNorthampton
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCULuhVVvKW1C3cHV_ygajdQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/leatherconservationcentre
• Instagraminstagram.com/leatherconservation/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leather-conservation-centre-the-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LEATHER CONSERVATION CENTRE(THE)