Big Give Christmas Challenge
Safeguard the SS Great Britain & Dockyard
As winter approaches help keep the SS Great Britain safe and dry. Having returned home 56 years ago, the SS Great Britain its starting to show its age.
We are facing significant conservation challenges putting the ship at risk. In particular, our grade II* listed dry dock is starting to leak onto the ship causing rust. We need your support to respond to the most urgent conservation challenges as they threaten to damage our history.
Every donation will help us tackle the most pressing threats, protect the ship from further harm, and ensure its story can continue to inspire future generations.
We need you to help keep our ship’s spirit alive.
Donate through the Big Give from 10am on 1 December 2026 and double your impact at no extra cost.
Situation
Built in 1839, our dry dock is deteriorating and allowing water in, threatening our historic ship. Ageing dehumidifiers preventing rust are less efficient, the story of the ship and relevance of the dock is unclear, and uneven, slippery floors limit access. Visitors can still see the original hull up close, but without urgent conservation this may soon be impossible. Action is needed now to protect the dock and safeguard this historic story by saving the SS Great Britain’s birthplace.
Solution
A range of actions are needed to address the unique issues in our dockyard. This includes a detailed condition survey of the historic structure, repairs to complex water management systems, and improved environmental sustainability through reduced energy use. We must also enhance accessibility so all visitors can easily use the space and support planning of a broad range of public events so more people can experience this one-of-a-kind space.
Campaign Aims
- As part of our work, we will develop plans to improve physical accessibility within the dry dock and enabling a wider range of visitors to experience this unique space and perspective of the ship.
- This funding will help us to understand the condition of our heritage assets, prioritise repairs, and develop a plan for the conservation actions needed with the support of expert conservation professionals.
- We aim to discover what can be done to make the dry dock more culturally accessible, through running co-created events with our local communities to explore the dock and its history.
- This funding could help us be more climate resilient by ensuring that changes in weather and climate are properly understood and factored into long term conservation planning for our historic dockyard.
Campaign Budget
£20,000 – Towards specialist conservation experts, reports and plans
Budget or Project Variations
If we don’t raise our campaign target, we will still use the funds raised to support our work at Bristol Dockyards, prioritising the work that is most needed. If we raise in excess of our campaign target, the extra will be put to other conservation needs of our site. As our site continues to age we must continue to protect it so the campaign purpose will never become invalid. Conservation is an ongoing and everchanging issue so all support is greatly appreciated.
