By Martin Brisland.
On 2nd April 2025 there was a Presentation Ceremony of the Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) onboard Steamship Shieldhall in the Western Docks. The impressive glass trophy was handed to Captain Martin Phipps by Mr. Nigel Atkinson, the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. Distinguished guests included Cllr Dave Shields, Mayor of Southampton and representatives from Associated British Ports, DP World and National Historic Ships amongst others. Also present were many of the 100 plus volunteers whose dedication keeps this 1,972 ton historic ship afloat year after year.
The award was founded in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth 11’s Golden Jubilee. There are 184,874 registered charities in the UK. In 2024, there were 281 King’s Award winners with only five in Hampshire. Equivalent to an MBE, the KAVS is the highest award for voluntary groups in the UK. It was awarded to the Shieldhall for “preserving Britain’s largest working steamship, providing public access, maritime training and education”.
During its summer sailing season SS Shieldhall is the No. 1 Southampton attraction on Trip Advisor.
The award is timely as the ship is celebrating its 70th birthday having been launched on the River Clyde in July 1955.
Shieldhall was operated by Glasgow Corporation to transport treated sewage sludge down the Clyde to be dumped at sea. She also continued a long tradition, dating back to the First World War, that Glasgow’s sludge vessels offered disadvantaged families and wounded or disabled ex-servicemen and women free day trips down the river in the summer months. This meant that Shieldhall was built with a large saloon and facilities to accommodate day-passengers.
In 1977, Shieldhall was purchased by the Southern Water Authority to carry sludge from Southampton to an area south of the Isle of Wight.
She was laid up in July 1985.
Interest in the ship due to her steam propulsion system and many features from an earlier era led to an initiative by the Southampton City Museum Services. A society was formed with the aim of preserving and operating the ship. Shieldhall was purchased from Southern Water in 1988, for £20,000 which represented her ‘scrap value.’
Solent Steam Packet Limited was registered as an Industrial and Provident Society to own, preserve and operate the ship. In 2020, the ‘Steamship Shieldhall Charity’ was established to take over responsibility for all aspects of preserving and operating the ship, including fundraising, while ownership remained with Solent Steam Packet Limited.
All work associated with the operation of SS Shieldhall is carried out by unpaid volunteers.
The volunteers also crew the ship for excursions around the Solent.
Passengers are uniquely allowed to visit working spaces such as the navigation bridge and the engines rooms.
For details of its 2025 programme, visit ss-shielhall.co.uk
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