The Mary Rose Trust, established in 1979, is responsible for conserving and displaying the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s warship which sunk in 1545, and her unique collection of artefacts.
The Trust excavated the Mary Rose from the sea in the Solent in 1982 and she is now on full display in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in The Mary Rose Museum and is becoming a ‘must see’ British icon, at the forefront of learning about Tudor life, maritime archaeology and applied conservation science.
The museum is the culmination of a £39 million project which was delivered in two phases over seven years.
The Trustees’ support of the Mary Rose Trust is indicative of how flexible an independent funder can be in reacting to what an organisation’s key priority is at different times – be it Capital or revenue funds. The ongoing potential of an organisation and its work plays an important part in the Trustees’ decision making and the museum has over delivered on its estimated contribution to the local economy in Portsmouth.
“The donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation were key to delivering the Trust’s ambition – not only were they substantial gifts but also because this strong endorsement encouraged other major donors to come on board during what was an extremely challenging time in which to fundraise. Support was given by the Foundation at crucial points during the project, giving financial stability to the Trust through periods of high cash flow….Without the Foundation’s support, the project would not have happened.” Helen Bonser-Wilton, Chief Executive