Summer Appeal

Can you help secure the SS Great Britain for the future?

Here’s where we stand right now. Since her return to Bristol, the SS Great Britain has been meticulously preserved and cared for so that visitors can explore, learn, and be inspired.

But that level of care comes at a cost—and it’s a rising one.

To keep her in a state where everyone can explore, learn, and discover, we need your support today. Funding for cultural organisations is increasingly hard to secure, and with news of even more museums closing, and uncertain futures for precious artefacts, we can’t wait until it’s too late.

This year we need you more than ever; to help us raise £15,000 to continue caring for the SS Great Britain and the nationally important Brunel collection.

The SS Great Britain is an iconic ship, and one of the most significant vessels in maritime and global history. A triumph of Victorian engineering and innovation, she transformed sea travel and helped shape the modern world.

Every day our team carries out vital conservation work on the artefacts in our care; from Brunel’s sketchbook to beautiful carved commemorative shells. These objects have passed through thousands of hands in their lifetime and tell an incredible story of our collective history – one that the SS Great Britain Trust is committed to continuing to share.

We have always committed to the very highest standards of care and conservation, for all 75,000 objects in our collection, including the SS Great Britain herself.

As time passes, the Great Britain continues to age, requiring ever greater intervention to ensure she is suitably preserved for future generations. The costs of maintaining these excellent standards have been steadily increasing over the years. From the ship itself to the 1830’s dry dock it was built in, continued maintenance is needed. While we continue to innovate to ensure best-practice conservation at the best price, we are asking for support to continue this vital work today.

Your support means the SS Great Britain will continue to inspire generations to come.

But this isn’t just about keeping the ship afloat, and our collections secure.

It’s about maintaining the programmes, collections, educational workshops, and community outreach that bring history to life for people of all ages. Your support helps us continue to offer these experiences — from bringing school groups aboard to hosting special events that celebrate the stories of the ship and the people who sailed on her.

Without this, the very future of the SS Great Britain Trust — and the broader cultural experience she represents — is in jeopardy. If we don’t act now, we endanger our shared heritage and future.

 “Museums and galleries are not just a nice to have. They are an essential part of our growth agenda in the UK, enticing visitors, anchoring creative businesses, showcasing local talent and giving people a chance to see things from a different angle.”

Chris Bryant, Culture Secretary, 2025

We have all seen the rising tide of headlines of museums and cultural institutions forced to close their doors as funding reduces while costs soar. When cultural spaces close, it’s more than just the physical space that’s lost; it’s the connection between people and their past, the chance for future generations to understand where they came from, and the inspiration they draw from the stories that live in those places. Imagine a world where children can no longer step into a museum and see objects that teach them about the past. Or a world in which communities no longer have access to the shared history that help us understand each other.

Our supporters have enabled hundreds of thousands of people to step into a world of Victorian innovation; to get up close and personal with astonishing artefacts. To step into the shoes of intrepid travellers heading to an unknown life across the globe. And to be awed by the “Grand Old Lady” herself.

Your support, today, can ensure that hundreds of thousands of people will continue to be inspired by Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

 If you would like to donate an amount not listed here, or to donate in a different way, please call our Development Team on 0117 462 3125, or email us on development@ssgreatbritain.org