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Awards and Loans

The Trust offers financial assistance to individuals or groups to carry through restoration or improvement projects to completion. The Trust also invites enquiries about sponsoring one or more Awards.

The Trust awards its premier trophy to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the cause of transport heritage preservation in a specific year, or which has culminated in a specific year. The winner holds for a year a silver model of SS Great Britain, since the award was inspired by the achievement of Sir Jack Hayward in returning the vessel from the Falklands to Bristol.

Preservationist of the Year 2024

Michael O'Brien Having just completed a very complex and very expensive conversion of an industrial building into a home, our Preservationist of the Year Michael O'Brien decided to own a wooden boat. He found one in a field in Essex and bought it, a 30ft motor cruiser built in Kingston upon Thames in 1937. The seller thought it might have been...

Young Preservationist Award

Nominate Young preservationist of the year
This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2023

Henry Dukes Just after his ninth birthday, Henry, the third generation of Austin Seven enthusiasts in his family, found a completely derelict 1937 Ruby engine in a pile of scrap. It was seized and had not run for over sixty years. He was very keen to find out how it worked and just eight months later, after a great deal of hard work, he had it...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2022

Henry Anderson: From the age of 14, Henry was very focussed on old Land Rovers, particularly the early Series 1s. He kept badgering his parents for a Land Rover project that he could work on himself. Luck was on his side and before he turned 15 a Series 1 had been found but it was in a large number of boxes.He set to in an old shed working on...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2021

Jacob "Jake" Bullock: Our Young Preservationist of the year is Jacob Bullock.Jake had for many years wanted to restore and own a WW2 Jeep, he knew that some 40 years ago his father had restored one in collaboration with his own father, and he wanted to experience the same process. An abandoned 1944 Ford GPW was sourced in Scotland and Jake set...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2020

Lewis Perry: Our Young Preservationist of the year is Lewis Perry, who took on the restoration of a very rusty but complete motorcycle from 1952. He had been volunteering at the Spa Valley Railway for some time and this had strengthened his interest in matters mechanical and engineering, and had also given him the idea of taking on his own...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2019

Josh Smith: When our young preservationist was aged 9, a family friend suggested that the two of them rebuild a Mini together. Unfortunately that did not happen because of the friend’s illness, and so it was not until he had reached the age of 15 that a Mini was purchased for restoration. Josh set about teaching himself the skills...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2018

Tom James is 19 and an enthusiastic member of the 1995 Association, which received its own award for its Aveling and Porter engine, so this is somethingof a family affair. Tom has always been a fan of steam; even when the Aveling and Porter engine was out of action and no big steam was available he spent hours on the Mammod model engine and...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2017

Michael Allen is a 19 year old trainee aircraft engineer. He has been with ATSO Engineering at Sywell Aerodrome, Brackley for nearly three years and has becomea key part of the team restoring the prototype Beagle Pup light aircraft, G-AVDF, which after being stored for more than 40 years, is hoped will fly in June 2017, on the 50th anniversary...

This award recognises the achievements of young people (under the age of 20) in the field of restoration. The winner receives a cheque for £500.

Young Preservationist of the Year 2016

Young Preservationist of the Year Award Sam and Joe Meakin won the YoungPreservationist of the Year Award in 2016 for the restoration of their 1918 Model T Ford Paco which they were able to show to HRH Prince Michael ofKent at Brooklands Museum We have two joint winners of our Young Preservationist of The Year award and their...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2015

Alasdair Page is 21, and has been a committed preservationist in rail and road transport for over a decade. His self-taught restoration skills are supported by a strong respect for heritage and authenticity. He began volunteering at the South Devon Railway around the age of 10 and completed most tasks from cleaning to firing locomotives. In May...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2014

Micheal Patterson Michael Patterson has been around steam most of his life. He and hisfather have had a five inch gauge railway lay out in their garden formany years. He has been a member of the Vale of Aylesbury modelrailway club operating steam engines on their five and seven and quarterinch layout, giving rides to the public. Among his...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2013

Charlotte and Chelsea Dresser - the joint 2013 Award Winners! We have two Young Preservationist winners this year. Sisters Charlotte and Chelsea Dresser have spent long hours learning restoration skills working with the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group. The girls first entered the realm of helicopter preservation when they came to...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2012

Jacob Needham works as an apprentice at one of our remaining traditional sailmakers, applying his skills and dexterity to Thames barges and similar sail-powered vessels. Jacob is 18 years old and joined the long established firm of sailmakers James Lawrence of Brightlingsea, Essex, immediately after leaving school. This came about after he...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2011

Alex Plews - the 2011 Award Winner! Our Young Preservationist this year is once again a railwayman; many of them have been but we would like to hear about young men and women from other sectors too. Alex Plews joined The Buckingham Railway Centre at Quainton Road in 1989 as a volunteer. It was clear from the start that he was an enthusiastic...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2010

Kevin Colley - the 2010 Award Winner! The Young Preservationist of the Year award for 2010 goes to Kevin Colley for his work as a mechanical and steam engineering apprentice on the IoW Steam Railway. Kevin represents the future of transport preservation in the UK. Now two years into his three-year apprenticeship, Kevin actively sought out a...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2009

Stephen Johnson - the 2009 Award Winner! The 2009 Young Preservationist of the Year is engineering apprentice Stephen Johnson. Based at the North Bay Railway, Scarborough, Stephen demonstrated his skills as project manager of the restoration of locomotive Neptune. Stephen has had a long commitment to the railway in Scarborough,...

Young Preservationist of the Year 2008

Will Howard - the 2008 Award Winner! The 2008 Young Preservationist of the Year is boatbuilder Will Howard. Using traditional woodworking skills Will builds boats that grace the Thames for the yard of Henwood & Dean. Will is pictured receiving his framed award and a cheque for £500 from Prince...

Young Preservationist of the year 2007

Adam Meredith The 2007 Young Preservationist of the Year is Adam Meredith! Adam is pictured receiving his framed award and a cheque for £500 from Prince Michael. Adam's traditional approach This 2007 Young Preservationist of the Year Award recognises that, at a time when computer graphics and design are commonly used...

Restoration Awards

Apply for a Restoration Award
These Awards, shown in no particular order, are made to assist individuals and groups who are working hard to preserve items of importance to the nation's transport heritage, and generally come with a substantial financial sum which it is hoped will assist with making good restorations great.

Restoration Awards 2024

National Transport Trust Commemorative Awards With the exception of the Sir William McAlpine Award, projects winning a National Transport Trust Commemorative Award are selected from those already awarded Restoration Awards each year, and as such, are recognised as the best of the best of each year's restoration projects receiving a...

The Trust acknowledges that exceptional achievements are built upon and sustained for the long term by the ongoing efforts of a vast army of supporters and volunteers. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises such long term dedication. The President's award has been awarded only once before, and is made to an officer or trustee of the National Transport Trust who has achieved something of significant merit but to whom it would not be appropriate to award one of our regular awards.

Lifetime Achievement Awards 2024

Matthew Boddington Engineer, aircraft constructor and restorer, air-worthiness inspector and display pilot, Matthew has been involved with vintage aviation since childhood.His father was a pilot with the Barnstormers Flying Circus and built and flew replica aircraft for several films. Matthew flew with him in early childhood and, after his...

 

The National Transport Trust makes loans to groups, associations and individuals at advantageous rates for the restoration of artefacts - whether mobile or part of the infrastructure.  Applications must be supported by a simple business plan which demonstrates the financial viability of the project. A sample business plan is available on request from the Treasurer.

 

The Trust does occasionaly make Awards for schemes which further the preservation movement. Again if you wish further information please contact the Treasurer.

 

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