'All hands on deck' for SS Great Britain fundraiser

21 March 2026

Alexandra BassinghamWest of England

About 100 people are competing to 'win' the SS Great Britain for a night

SS Great Britain Trust An actor as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, wearing a top hat and black dress attire with a waistcoat, and a cain. He is standing in front of around 10 of volunteers wearing black SS Great Britain jumpers, all standing in a v formation.
They are on the deck of the SS Great Britain, with the rigging and water in the background. — About 100 people are competing to 'win' the SS Great Britain for a night

Competitors have battled over who can keep their hands on the deck of a historic steamship the longest to "win" the vessel in an urgent fundraising challenge.

The competition, which ran throughout Saturday, is part of the SS Great Britain Trust's All Hands on Deck appeal to raise £180,000 in six weeks for completion of the ship's Dockyard Museum.

Winner Tom Davies, from Bristol, managed to keep his hands on the deck until 15:30 GMT.

He will now get to spend a night on the Bristol-based ship, along with 40 of his friends.

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"This really is all hands on deck," said Louisa Pharoah from the trust, adding: "The new museum will be incredibly special as it's been created by the people of Bristol."

Around 25 competitors took part, dealing with a series of distractions, including "Mr Brunel himself doing everything he can to deter even the most determined competitors", a spokesperson said.

Pharoah, the trust's director of people and development, said it was an "exciting chance to potentially win the ship for the night".

"And a brilliant way to rally together as a community to support one of Bristol's most important cultural icons," she added.

The SS Great Britain was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and launched from Bristol in 1843.

It was the world's first iron-hulled screw-driven ocean liner and sailed around the world 32 times, covering more than one million miles (1.6m km) at sea, before being brought back home to Bristol in 1970 and eventually opened to the public.

If the fundraising target is reached, the new museum will open in July

SS Great Britain Trust An actor dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel wearing a top hat and black dress attire with a waistcoat looks on as 10 people kneel with their hands flat on the deck of the SS Great Britain. — If the fundraising target is reached, the new museum will open in July

The on-board museum closed to the public on 23 February to begin major redevelopment work.

Although a £1.3m investment has been secured, local businesses, community groups and the public are being asked to support the fundraising.

Pharoah said the museum would "showcase the untold stories of those who travelled on the ship, from more than 50 different nationalities", with many of the stories uncovered by researchers from local Bristol communities.

The Trust aims to raise the funds by mid-April, with plans to open the new museum in July.

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