Getting On Board?

Online Zoom Event 19:30 - 21:00

How can historic vessels draw in new people and stay relevant, reaching out beyond existing supporters, using social media, online promotion and community “offer”, and convert that into supporters, visitors, volunteers or contributors?

It’s still an experimental area and no one has all the answers. This discussion will share views on different techniques through presentations, a speaker panel with time for questions from attendees.

Presenters include:

• Ash Faire-Ring, one of the new generation of crowdfunded boat restorers who, together with Ben Danzinger, has built up supporters through a wide range of social media as part of rebuilding the 1922 bult sailing barge yacht Growler https://www.facebook.com/bargegrowler/ and https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/page/sailing-barge-growler-norfolk 
• Charlotte Squireis Project Manager for SS Freshspring, a unique steamship now preserved at Bideford, Devon, with a developing programme of community, education and skills training activities https://ssfreshspring.co.uk/ 
• Liz Poweris Director of the London Museum of Water and Steam at Brentford, which tells the story of London’s water supply and includes a major collection of working steam and pumping engines. In responding to Covid restrictions Liz and her team developed extra community activities to bring the museum to new people. https://waterandsteam.org.uk/ 
• Gareth Maeer is a Director of Raybel Charters (restoring the Thames Sailing Barge Raybel and other projects), a maritime heritage social enterprise based in the Thames Estuary – part business, part campaign, part arts project, aiming towards a climate conscious and socially just system of trade https://raybelcharters.com/ 
• Victoria Wallworth, National Historic Ships UK https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/ is Policy, Projects and Course Manager at National Historic Ships UK and leads on the Shipshape Network initiative, skills training and funded projects. She has helped develop NHS-UK’s promotion and engagement strategy via online events and social media campaigns. 

This is one of a series of webinars which Maritime Heritage Trust https://maritimeheritage.org.uk/ is running in co-operation with National Historic Ships UK https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/ on currently critical issues for maritime heritage projects, building on "Historic ships - a new approach?" (5 Jan 2022) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnBrNDNiuI8 

Further follow up individual webinar events in 2022 are planned on delivering community and individual benefits; co-operation through clusters; attracting funding and helping the sector find a more sustainable future.