Newsletter - December 2023
2023 Year Review
As 2023 becomes 2024, it’s a good opportunity to remind ourselves about what has happened this year and what we expect to happen in the new year. It has been a challenging year with successes and disappointments but we are still here and making progress towards our goals.
We have launched a new Membership and Rewards Programme and opened our online Merchandise Shop!
Conservation Management Plan
Our main success was the award of funding from the Pilgrim Trust to allow us to commission a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for Explorer. This work is being carried out by Wessex Archaeology and will be completed by the end of January 2024. The CMP is an essential tool for the planning of our conservation of the vessel and the next stages of our project. There will be a public event to formally launch the plan in the spring.
Ongoing repairs
Our Volunteers have completed the works on the Monkey Island and removed the tent, so Explorer is looking much more like her old self. They have continued the routine maintenance, along with some chipping and painting and they are about to start a project to remove the boards on the side decks and clean and paint the main deck in these areas. A recent highlight has been the installation of a toilet on the vessel for our visitors.
Development and Community Engagement Programme
We made a successful application to the Scottish Graduate School for Social Sciences and Katharina Pruente has been appointed to undertake a six month part-time internship to help us develop our community engagement programme. Katharina is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Stirling working on communities, communication, and social structures in history.
Meanwhile, trustees have started work on an interpretation plan for the vessel and continue to work on funding applications for our day-to-day costs.
Research and Networking
Trustee Meredith Greiling gave a presentation to a National Maritime Museum’s conference ‘Beyond Oceans Depths - revisiting HMS Challenger’s expedition (1872-1876)’ on the Explorer’s links to the historic legacy of HMS Challenger’s expedition.
Visitor stats
In 2023 over 20 visitor groups came to the ship and several events were hosted in our Officer's Mess.
Amongst others we hosted visits by Sir Mark Jones - Chair of Trustees for Pilgrim Trust; Irene Lofthus - one of the original SSEPS trustees; Miles Oglethorpe and Mark Watson from Historic Environment Scotland, and Hannah Cunliffe - Director of National Historic Ships UK.
Word from the Chair
I’d like to express our thanks to all the volunteers for their efforts over the year – with a special mention for Jim supported by Scott for their efforts guiding visitors around the vessel. I would also like to express our appreciation for the contribution made by Alan Hush over the last few years as our Honorary Secretary.
We owe a huge thank you to the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust for their donation in the summer, which enabled us to meet some of the day-to-day costs which are so hard to fund elsewhere. They have offered us a donation point nearby Britannia, which we are currently developing. We hope this will become a regular source of additional income for Explorer.
We have also been offered a location for a second donation point at the Port of Leith Distillery and are grateful to them for this opportunity.
- Richard Morrison
New Membership Programme
We have launched a new membership scheme which offers the opportunity to join as a Sailor, an Engineer, an Officer or a Scientist with different annual membership donations and a variety of welcome gifts like t-shirts, hoodies or mugs when you sign up. This is a great way to express your support for Explorer – and fulfil your heart’s desire to become a scientist!
We encourage you all to sign up as soon as you can!
Existing members who wish to continue to support Explorer will have to sign up again under this new programme, which we hope our welcome gifts will make up for.
You can sign up on our website:https://www.theexplorer.scot/become-a-member
And browse our membership gifts in the new store!
New Merchandise Shop
You can now buy an exclusive range of Explorer themed merchandise on our website. Please have a look and choose your own souvenir of Explorer at: https://the-explorer-leith.teemill.com/collection/new/
Business membership scheme
We will be a launching a new membership scheme for businesses in the next few weeks and we look forward to developing our connections with local businesses in Leith, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, across Scotland and the world.
If you would like more information about the Explorer please contact us at Mail@theexplorer.scot
SS Explorer Preservation Society
December 2023