Give the gift of an SS Great Britain Golden Ticket to local schoolchildren this Christmas

SS Great Britain Trust has announced it will be taking part in the Big Give’s 2025 Christmas Challenge. This year, their campaign will focus on raising funds and awareness for the Trust’s Golden Ticket programme – an education scheme which supports local primary schools in Bristol facing the most significant barriers to accessing extracurricular activities and trips.

Each school is invited to a day out at the SS Great Britain site, with travel, admission and workshop costs all covered to remove as many financial obstacles as possible. Through this important work, children in the most educationally deprived areas of Bristol can enjoy a free visit to the world-famous heritage site. As well as enhancing their school experience, these trips also help local children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the SS Great Britain’s cultural significance.

Other benefits to the Golden Ticket programme, which has run since 2011, include:

• Free returns for families: Each child will receive a Golden Ticket for a return visit with their family, free of charge. This experience allows schoolchildren to share what they’ve learned with those closest to them, whilst removing further barriers faced by many families living in Bristol.
• SEN Accessibility: The Trust offers Sensory Loan Boxes for schools that want to continue their learning after the trip is over.

Locals can show their support for SS Great Britain’s Golden Ticket programme, by donating to the Big Give Christmas Challenge between 2nd and 9th December. Each donation has the chance to be doubled via match funding that has been pledged to the Trust by corporate sponsors and Big Give Champions. The Trust has set a target of £20,000 – hoping to beat last year’s Big Give target of £15,000 which raised money for the Trust’s Future Brunels education programme.

Nell Beckett, Development Officer, commented: “We are really excited to take part in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, raising vital funds for our Golden Ticket programme. With the unique opportunity for every supporter to have double the impact, we are looking forward to seeing Bristol come together in support of local school and the SS Great Britain.”
The Trust would like to publicly thank corporate partner - Seetru - and Big Give champion - AKO Foundation for pledging their support towards the Christmas Challenge.