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19th March 08
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is continuing to support Bristol’s diverse heritage by awarding a massive grant of £640,000 to commemorate Brunel’s huge contribution to the industrial transformation of the South West region.
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From left to right: Nancy Chambers, Christian Redford, Ruth Sidgwick and Matthew Tanner.
The grant was given to the ss Great Britain Trust to open the Brunel Institute Conservation Learning Centre, including the national archive devoted to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It will contain many items that date back to the 19th century and will house several large collections of rare and historic photographs, books and papers relating to maritime history and archaeology. Many of the items, including personal letters and diaries, belonged to Brunel himself and the passengers and crew of the ss Great Britain.
Julie Cooper, HLF Manager for the South West said; “The creation of the Brunel Institute will offer the general public the chance to explore these extensive collections, and understand Brunel and the ss Great Britain in a broader social and historical context. At the same time future generations of engineers and scientists from across the city will have the space and support to pursue their careers."
This significant collection will be preserved and made available to the public - free of charge. A number of education and outreach programmes will be developed by the new centre to promote awareness of maritime history, and the importance of this to science and industrial engineering, encouraging more people to embark on a career in this field.
The grant follows five previous HLF awards to the Trust, which now amounts to a whopping £10 million. This new centre will sit in the Great Western Dockyard, home to the ss Great Britain, and is a short distance from the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge.
The Director of the ss Great Britain Trust Matthew Tanner said: “We are delighted with this announcement from the HLF. This grant will enable the Trust and our partners, including the University of Bristol, City Museum and Art Gallery and the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust, to forge ahead with the Brunel Institute. This will help us to create a world-class maritime, science and engineering collection, as well as the national Brunel Archive, and pioneering educational programmes for children in Bristol and the South West.The Heritage Lottery Fund grant represents a substantial contribution to the ss Great Britain Trust's campaign to raise £4 million for the Brunel Institute."
Stephen Williams, MP for Bristol West commentated; “I am delighted that this new conservation and learning centre will be placed alongside Brunel's masterpiece, the ss Great Britain. This centre will further raise the profile of Brunel's incredible contribution to our industrial heritage and provide a lifetime of learning for the kids of today and the future. Thousands of visitors will be able to see how the past was shaped, and a lasting heritage created, on the doorstep of our city.”
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