Mary Rose Trust, the charity with guardianship for the Henry VIII warship in Portsmouth, has appointed direct marketing agency TDA to develop individual giving and improve its digital fundraising.
The objective is to generate regular income to support the Trust’s activities, which range from conservation of the Mary Rose’s hull and artefacts to education and outreach programmes.
TDA has created a ‘Friends of the Mary Rose’ product, and a suite of acquisition, welcome and retention materials, in order to capitalise on renewed public interest in the historic vessel.
The Mary Rose was commissioned by Henry VIII on his accession to the throne in 1509, and she represents the beginnings of the modern Royal Navy. She sank off Portsmouth in 1545 and was lifted from the seabed in 1982 before a global audience of 60 million. As the only surviving warship of this period, her 19,000 artefacts tell a fascinating story of Tudor life. A new, purpose-built museum for the ship is due to open at the end of this year in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Mary Rose Trust joint head of fundraising Jacky Wilson commented: “Naturally the protection of the Mary Rose and her magnificent artefacts is our top priority. But we believe it is just as important to ensure that her story continues to excite people, old and young alike. Education is a vital part of what we do, and something about the Mary Rose really captures people’s imagination – from schoolchildren to postgraduates and anyone with an interest in history.
“We take a hands-on approach to learning and invest in exciting ways to make the Mary Rose’s artefacts accessible and interesting whilst preserving them for future generations. It is vital that we generate a good stream of regular income from supporters so we can continue with this work.”
TDA head of fundraising David Burrows said: “The opening of the new, state-of-the-art museum will create a wonderful opportunity to acquire new supporters. We hope that the Friends programme will give the public the opportunity to support this extraordinary and unique ship.”
The account is the second win in a week for TDA; late last week Alzheimer’s Research UK hired the agency to conduct a comprehensive review of its legacy fundraising activity.
Related stories
TDA nets Alzheimer’s legacy brief
