About Us
Who we are
Founded for his workers by William Hesketh Lever in 1888, the village is arguably the finest and most intact surviving example of early urban planning in the world. Today, it is a place where 130 years of history and a thriving community come together - celebrating a vibrant local heritage and planning for an exciting future.
With around 300 homes forming part of the estate, Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) also has a vital role to play as landlord to today’s tenants. We want to make the village an inspiring place to live, visit and work for everyone.
Port Sunlight was declared a conservation area in 1978. It contains more than 900 Grade II listed buildings in 130 acres of parkland and gardens. It is also home to a thriving community and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. It is important to strike a balance between the past and the present, which is where PSVT comes in.
PSVT is an independent charitable trust responsible for preserving and promoting the village. Set up by Unilever in 1999, the Trust works with Port Sunlight’s residents to create a self-sustaining village for all who live, visit and work here.
Our vision for Port Sunlight
An environmentally conscious and socially vibrant place, where residents are happy and engaged, visitors are captivated, and everyone can learn from its stories.
Our mission
PSVT is the charity that keeps Port Sunlight relevant, working with village residents and partners to tell stories, care for historic collections, buildings, and landscapes, and create an inviting place for people to live, work and visit.
What we’re responsible for
All of the village’s parks, gardens, monuments and memorials are cared for by PSVT, as well as the majority of public buildings and nearly a third of the houses. The entire village is a Designated Conservation Area and nearly every building is Grade II listed.
PSVT also runs Port Sunlight Museum (including the Edwardian Worker’s Cottage and SoapWorks) which celebrates the unique heritage of the village – its development, architecture, people and landscapes – through special exhibitions, events, learning programmes, and volunteering opportunities, all underpinned by our historical collection and archive.
How we’re funded
Every year, PSVT spends more than £3 million on cyclical building work, conservation projects, landscape maintenance, and lifelong learning programmes through the museum. To do this work, we rely on grants, charitable donations, and the income received from property rentals, museum admissions, and retail sales. Every penny is reinvested back into the village.
Key Staff and Trustees
For further information please visit: Home | Port Sunlight Village