HMS Cavalier Needs Your Votes!
The Historic Dockyard Chatham is delighted to let you know that HMS Cavalier, our Second World War Destroyer, has reached the finals of the National Lottery Awards, so thank you to all those that voted for us. The Awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded project, and they aim to celebrate and recognise the difference that those projects have made to people, places and communities all across the UK.
After making it through the Semi-final round thanks to a huge amount of support, HMS Cavalier is competing against two other projects in the Best Education Project category for the chance to win the national award and a £2,000 prize, and we need your votes again to help crown HMS Cavalier as a winner! This would be a major achievement, not only for The Historic Dockyard Chatham and all the volunteers that have dedicated hundreds of thousands of hours restoring this ship, but also for the whole of Kent and Medway as something to be proud of. Just visit http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/shortlistitem.cfm?id_category=2&id_entry=106 or call 0844 686 1038 to cast your vote.
143 British destroyers were lost at sea during the Second World War, and more than 11,000 people perished with them. Today, the Royal Navy’s last operational Second World War destroyer stands in The Historic Dockyard Chatham, alongside a commissioned monument of public art dedicated to those men who lost their lives, as the National Destroyer Memorial. Royal naval Associations and the Royal British Legion were consulted with on the design and development of the memorial and provided valuable support to help make the memorial a reality. This is far more than just a memorial however; the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has turned the ship into a unique educational tool.
Lottery and Memorial Fund funding meant that the Trust was able to purchase and transport the ship to Chatham, Kent and undertake a large-scale restoration project. The after accommodation had been completely gutted and the team wanted to re-create the layout and look of the destroyer’s mess decks, while turning them into a place where children could learn and even sleep overnight to get the real experience of life on board a Second World War Destroyer.
Alec Cheyney, Ships Volunteer at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, says: “It is touching to think that this amazing ship – a memorial to the men who perished on destroyers during World War Two – now has a vital new role in the education of young people. I am especially proud to have helped convert the aft end of the vessel into overnight accommodation and am delighted that the disabled suite we installed will help children with mobility problems to enjoy the ship long into the future. We really hope the public gets behind us and votes for HMS Cavalier and the wonderful education programmes that are available on board.”
As a finalist, we will be appearing on a BBC1 primetime show on 4th September 2010 called “National Lottery Big 7”, and we need your vote to help us win! Please support us; just visit http://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards/shortlistitem.cfm?id_category=2&id_entry=106 or call 0844 686 1038 to cast your vote. Calls will cost no more than 5p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may vary; calls from mobiles could cost considerably more.
Every vote counts, so we really appreciate your support. Voting closes on 13th August 2010 so please register your vote before then. A huge thanks to those that have supported us so far, we just need one final push to be crowned the winner! Please pass this message on to your friends, families and colleagues as we need the support! Thank you!