HRH The Duke of York
LINDEN HOMES BACKS BRUNEL INSTITUTE CAMPAIGN
LINDEN Homes Western has announced its £60,000 sponsorship of a major fundraising campaign for the Brunel Institute at the ss Great Britain.
The sponsorship package enables the ss Great Britain Trust to launch the £3 million campaign to fit out and run the Brunel Institute conservation and learning centre.
Linden Homes’ sponsorship will help the Trust to deliver fundraising events, including a champagne launch reception hosted by the Trust’s Patron Prince Andrew at St James’s Palace in London on Tuesday (May 13), and to produce appeal brochures, leaflets and displays.
The Brunel Institute will house a world-class archive, bringing materials relating to the great engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel together for the first time, as well as large collections of rare and historic maritime photographs, plans, books and papers.
Trust staff will develop new and pioneering education and outreach programmes, including finding the ‘Future Brunels’ from schoolchildren in the West of England.
As an independent museum and charity, securing the ship’s long-term future in Bristol has been the Trust’s core mission. The partnership with Linden Homes Western to develop the land alongside the ship will recreate a more fitting backdrop to the ship, based on Brunel’s original Steamship Engine Factory. This commercial agreement has also enabled the ss Great Britain Trust to establish a dedicated endowment fund which will ensure the on-going preservation of the ship.
Last July award-winning national house-builder, Linden Homes, announced a ground breaking partnership with the ss Great Britain Trust which will see the company redevelop the old dockyard site alongside Brunel’s famous ship on Bristol’s harbourside.
Linden Homes will build the shell of the Brunel Institute, as part of its development at the Great Western Dockyard that also includes 145 one and two-bedroom apartments.
Nigel Palmer, Managing Director of Linden Homes Western, said: “By sponsoring the Brunel Institute Campaign launch event at St James's Palace it cements our partnership on this flagship development for Linden Homes, especially as we are building the Brunel Institute, which will create a fantastic new backdrop to the ship.”
Deputy Director Nancy Chambers, who heads up the fundraising campaign, commented: “We are delighted that Linden Homes Western shares our vision for establishing the Brunel Institute as a world-class maritime archive and inspiring the Brunels of the Future through pioneering education programmes. The company’s sponsorship of the Brunel Institute Founders’ Campaign, and commitment to the Brunel Institute, is invaluable.
In February the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded just over £640,000 for the Brunel Institute.
The ss Great Britain Trust’s fundraising team will be approaching grant-making trusts, corporates and individuals for their support over the next few months.
The ss Great Britain Trust is working with partners, including the University of Bristol, City Museum and Art Gallery and forge ahead with the Brunel Institute which is due to open in 2010.