Feature, Freight News, Sea

World War I hero ship sends out an SOS

[ September 9, 2016   //   Chris ]

London’s last remaining World War One ship could end up going to the scrapyard after it was refused Lottery Funding.
HMS President Preservation Trust, the charity that owns HMS President 1918 – London’s last remaining World War One ship and one of only three left – has been refused Lottery funding of £330,000 to secure its future.
The former German U Boat Submarine hunter was also used to protect St Paul’s Cathedral from the Luftwaffe and as a base for the French Resistance.
The President had to be moved from its 92 year mooring at London’s Victoria Embankment in February 2016 to storage at Chatham Docks in Kent awaiting refurbishment of its hull and a new mooring in Central London due to the major Thames Tideway Tunnel sewer Project.
The City of London Corporation have in principle given their support to a new mooring for the President by London Bridge on. However without the funding required to pay for this, the Trustees of the Charity are unable to move forward.
The President is planned to be a key part of the WW1 Centenary celebrations in 2018 as it celebrates its own Centenary that year.
The Trust needs 10,000 signatures in a fortnight to be able to force MPs to debate the ship’s plight and get the treasury to secure funding for the vessel or to raise the money via the Just Giving page.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/163742
People are also urged write to their MPs and ask them to put pressure on the treasury to save this national treasure.

Tags: The President