The charity established to raise funds to secure the future of the Ross Revenge has been given the go-ahead by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop its plans to dry dock the ship with the aim of carrying out vital maintenance and repairs.
This is a big step forward, and comes as Ross Revenge (Home of Radio Caroline) announces that its own fund raising now totals £340,000, a remarkable achievement and thanks in great part to the station’s dedicated supporters.
Without demonstrating an ability to raise significant money itself, the much-needed support from the Lottery would be unlikely.
However, after an initial approach to the Lottery last month, it has replied with an encouraging response, making it clear it is interested to hear more about the charity’s proposals.
Lawrie Hallett, one of the charity’s patrons, prepared and submitted what is called an "Expression of Interest" document with outline proposal. Having considered this, Lottery officials have responded stating that it "can now offer some points to consider as you develop the application".
Make no mistake: there is still a lot of hard work to do before the Lottery will release money as the project moves forward. It needs to be convinced that the aims and ambitions for the Ross Revenge are viable and worth investing in. If the charity is successful in this, the Lottery is likely to release money in stages, in amounts up to £250,000.
In the meantime, the charity must continue to seek donations from its own appeals, and its Trustees must now devote time to providing more detailed plans, including costings for towage and dry-docking and for the repair and restoration work that the 1,000-ton Ross Revenge will need.
Any investment by the Lottery will come with conditions attached. It must be understood that it will not fund work simply to repair the Ross Revenge. Applications must take into account the Lottery’s “investment principles”, and these include demonstrating the project has taken into account sustainability, the environment and the climate crisis.
In addition, the charity must show that the restoration of the Ross Revenge is of benefit for future generations and has educational and skills benefits.
All of which will present the Trustees and Patrons of Ross Revenge (Home of Radio Caroline) with many challenges, but considerations are already underway with developing the forepeak of the Ross Revenge into an educational and exhibition area, and an opportunity to reflect on the ship’s role as both deep-sea fishing trawler and radio ship.
Further updates will follow, and in the meantime please continue to support this project if you can by visiting the Crowfunder page on this website and direct donations via our charity site at www.rossrevengeofficial.com