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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 2024

Rosie Hodgson-Jones Rosie's restoration project started when, at the age of 14, she went to a Model T Ford Register autojumble and successfully bid on a 1926 Model T Tourer body. Her grandfather provided an engine which he had at the back of his garage and, with support from her father, she began to restore the car including an engine strip,...

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...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2015

Charles and Robin Daniel are very active West Country steam owners restorers and enthusiasts. They have been volunteers on the Talyllyn Railway since 1950s, tunnellers on Festinniog Railway & Steam Rally organisers. They have been office holders in the West of England Steam Engine Society, and of the National Traction Engine Trust. they were...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2014

Ron Barker After a career in the aircraft industry Steady Barker, as he has beenknown almost since he left school, joined the staff of The Autocarmagazine almost exactly 60 years ago, and began to combine earning aliving with his life-long interest in cars. He had attended race meetingshere at Brooklands in the 1930s, and after spending the...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2013

Max Sinclair For his 50 year campaign to restore the Droitwich canals.Canals in the plural because there is the Barge Canal, opened in 1771, and the Junction Canal opened in 1854. They were built to facilitate the salt trade on which the wealth of Droitwich was founded. The canals were abandoned in 1939 and by the 1970s the Barge Canal was...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2012

Gordon Biddle Gordon Biddle is a retired Surveyor who has devoted his expertise to the subject of transport infrastructure and has made a major contribution to increasing awareness of the importance of this aspect of transport, and of conserving it. Gordon achieved recognition as an expert on our industrial and commercial architectural...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2011

Vic Smallshire As a teenager in the late 1950s, Vic persuaded his father to build him a boat to tour the Black Country canals. He found the Government was closing them quicker than he could discover them: so began a 50 year association with the Dudley Canals. From direct action in the early days to prevent official vandalism of locks and...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2010

Alan Moore Alan has made an outstanding long-term contribution to transport preservation, especially heritage railways. He has trigger-funded restoration of the quad-art set, many steam locomotives, the rail motor shed at Didcot and the goods shed at Bodmin. He has served as Chairman of the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and Finance...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2009

John Reeves John Reeves received a lifetime achievement award in recognition of a long career writing about and promoting the restoration of working steam, on the road and on the land. John Fasal John Fasal was recognised for a lifetime's contribution to the restoration and preservation of Rolls Royce motor cars. John...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2008

Michael Oliver MBE and Jean Michael Oliver (MBE) and Jean are the founders of the Great Dorset Steam Fair and its organisers for 40 years. A regular fixture at the end of August each year, The Great Dorset Steam FairGDSF now covers 600 acres ofDorset at the end of August every year and isthe biggest event of its kind in the...

Lifetime Achievement Award 2007

Michael Banfield Michael has had a lifetime involvement in the restoration of historic commercial vehicles and buses, veteran and classic cars. He was a founding member in 1957 of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society, which merged with the Vintage Passenger Vehicle Society to become the Historic Commercial Vehicle Club, the largest...

 

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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National Transport Trust, Old Bank House, 26 Station Approach, Hinchley Wood, Esher, Surrey KT10 0SR