'Full steam ahead!' - Campaigners behind £10m plan for new South Tyneside museum make plea to public

A plan to create a multi-million-pound museum and skills centre to celebrate South Tyneside’s shipbuilding heritage is gathering steam – with a first community engagement event planned.

Project leaders say representatives from regional local authorities, museums, engineering-related businesses - and even MPs – will be present to learn of the latest developments.

But they insist it is vitally important that borough residents and other interested parties join them to learn more about their ambitions.

It will take place at the former St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, in Church Street, Hebburn, now the Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation centre, from 4pm to 5.30pm on Friday, August 21.

The project was announced earlier this year by campaigner Bronwyn Mogie, 32, from Hebburn.

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She realised centuries of shipping history was being lost with the passing of time, with records and historical artifacts widely dispersed – and no centralised database.

A support petition she started online at change.org has now reached almost 1,800 signatures and she quickly won the support of Jarrow and Gateshead East MP Kate Osborne.

Other early backers included Andrew Leslie, 64, the great-great-great nephew of his 19th Century namesake who helped found Hebburn’s famous Hawthorn Leslie shipyard yard.

Andrew and Bronwyn have now teamed up and their plan includes setting up a charity which would aim to apply for funding of up to £10m.

They are also on the lookout for a suitable museum site by the banks of the Tyne, with one possible location being part of the now demolished Hawthorn Leslie.

Further progress has come with the establishment of local partnerships with Blyth Tall Ships, Sunday for Sammy, Tyne Cruises and several other linked enterprises.

Tyneside-born businessman Andrew said: “Plans for a shipyard museum have gathered momentum over recent months.

“Our community engagement through social media is reaching far and wide and we are getting some national and even international interest in what we are doing.

“As we are close to finalising our charity set up, we decided that the time was right to have our first community event.

“We hope to attract many local residents who have memories of the yards, with some potentially even speaking and providing their memories as part of our presentation.

“The event will consist of presentations from myself, Bronwyn, John Wilson, who is Professor of Business History at Northumbria University, and Mark Stoddart PhD, an expert on the North East’s engineering history.

“The event will have food vendors on site, and some entertainment from local artists to make it more of a community thing.”

Andrew added: “We are seeing some real interest in the event and have lots of confirmed attendees.

“The team are really energised by what is developing and we hope to be able to transfer some of our passion to the attendees to really get them behind us.

“It has never felt more necessary to remember such an important part of great British history.”

The campaign is being supported, pro-bono, by Muckle LLP for legal guidance, and a team of Masters students from Northumbria University are writing a five year project plan.

More information is at www.shipyardheritagemuseum.org.uk