Date of publication: 09/05/2013
The Heritage Lottery Fund announces its “initial support” to safeguard the future of the First World War British warship, HMS Caroline, with £845,600 funding secured.
Plans to turn the last surviving ship from the 1916 Battle of Jutland into a “floating museum” received a “first-round pass” from Heritage Lottery Fund, “which is an endorsement of the outline project and its ability to deliver high-quality benefits and good value for Lottery money”.
Development funding of £845,600 was also awarded which will “enable the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) to draw up more detailed plans in order to secure the full HLF grant of £12.2million”.
HMS Caroline will be moored at Alexandra Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
There have been calls for the light cruiser to serve as a central element of Northern Irish efforts to mark the Centenary of the First World War, as Ulster Unionist Party peer Lord Empey suggested in February 2013.
Confirming its historical significance and importance in commemorating the conflict, Northern Ireland Tourism Minister Arlene Foster stated: “Our ultimate aim is to transform the ship into a world-class floating museum in time for the Battle of Jutland centenary in 2016, as I believe HMS Caroline has huge potential as a visitor experience”.
To read the full press release, visit the Heritage Lottery Fund website here.
Images courtesy of the Heritage Lottery Fund website.
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News