National Lottery Heritage Fund awards £3 million for historic vessel conservation

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is providing £3 million from lottery ticket sales to protect historic vessels and maritime heritage. £1.2 million will go to National Historic Ships UK to identify vessels most in need and provide grants, advice, and training. Around 30 per cent of vessels in the National Historic Fleet are considered at risk.

The Longhope Lifeboat Museum Trust in Orkney, Scotland, has been granted more than £1.6 million. The funding will support conservation of the RNLB Thomas McCunn, the only fully seaworthy vintage slipway-launched lifeboat, restoration of its station, new research, and a visitor centre. The museum honours RNLI crews, including the eight who died in the 1969 Longhope lifeboat disaster.

The Cellardyke Trust in Fife has secured £1.2 million to rebuild the fishing vessel Manx Beauty, which dates to the 1930s. The Waid Academy in Anstruther will host a temporary working boatyard for training, apprenticeships, work experience, and volunteering. Once restored, Manx Beauty will return to Anstruther Harbour as a working heritage vessel.

The chief executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund stated that skills and organisations needed to care for historic vessels are under increasing pressure. The fund identified maritime heritage as a priority under its Heritage 2033 strategy. Hannah Cunliffe, director of National Historic Ships UK, said the organisation is delighted to have received this initial support.

Kevin Kirkpatrick, chair of the board of trustees at Longhope Lifeboat Museum, said the trust is absolutely delighted by this news. Richard Wemyss, chair of the Cellardyke Trust, said the trust is delighted to hear the news of this award. Previous Heritage Fund investment enabled the Pioneer Sailing Trust to recruit 12 apprentices, with plans to welcome another 12 this autumn.