Donation of Funds
In 2020 ‘We Remember Submariners’ helped to both publicise, and contributed to, the crowdfunding to raise funds for the feasibility study into whether COURAGEOUS could be preserved as a permanent exhibit in Devonport as part of the Royal Navy Museums exceeded the cost of the study. It was intended initially that any balance would be donated to help fund the Submariner’s Memorial at the National Arboretum. However, that project was fully funded and has no need of additional funding.
Although the study concluded that COURAGEOUS could be preserved, at a cost of between £6m and £10m, post Covid funding pressures meant Royal Navy Museums were unable to proceed and the project eventually lapsed in 2024.
The Project Team has therefore decided to share the remaining balance between the Courageous Management Group to cover maintenance and running costs of its visitor programme and the China Fleet Trust to support the welfare of naval personnel and their families, particularly, but not exclusively, submarine personnel and families.
Whilst it is disappointing that the ambition to preserve HMS COURAGEOUS as a permanent exhibit could not be realised, the project represented an important effort to safeguard a significant part of our naval heritage. The Project team considers that by sharing the balance, as we have, we are making good use of the funds.
I would be most grateful if you would share this message with the members of We Remember Submariners so as to spread the message to the Submarine Community.
Ian Whitehouse
