The MQPS chairman gives a report

 I am often asked why I became involved in the Medway Queen Project. The answer is that I started my early working life in the ship building industry and the opportunity of restoring a ship albeit that it turned out to be a reconstruction, was of great interest to me. Another reason, of course, is that the ship represents the “Spirit of Dunkirk”.

That spirit has been shown recently by our Members in coming to our aid in our time of need. Your generosity has been overwhelming and has touched me deeply. We have now moved on since then and we now have an Interim Grant from the Regional Lottery Fund which will take us through to our next Bid. Although I initiated our request to the Lottery it was Simon Woolcott who did all of the hard work in obtaining the Grant.

The Lottery Grant, however, is not to be spent on the ship itself but has been granted in order to enable us to update our Constitution, and our Policies in respect of Health & Safety and Industrial Law.

This does not mean that there will be any great changes ahead but merely that we will be updating the Constitution and Policies which have not been changed since the Society was formed. I thank you once again for your overwhelming support.

Brian Burton
Hon Chairman
(This article originally appeared in Full Ahead, Winter 2014/5)

---