After many years of working in partnership with the Bristol Aero Collection, The Concorde Trust transferred it assets and undertakings to the fellow charity in May 2012. All directors of The Concorde Trust became trustees of the merged charity and, later in the year, the name was changed to the Bristol Aero Collection Trust (BAC Trust).
In December 2012 a site on Filton Airfield was formally pledged to BAC Trust by landowners, BAE Systems for the creation of the Bristol Aerospace Centre. The site includes two First World War, Grade II listed hangars which, it is planned, will be refurbished to provide a first class aviation heritage museum, catering and retail facilities, community and learning spaces, archive, workshops and stores. A new building of c.3,200m2 footprint will offer a permanent home for Concorde, related exhibitions, technology centre and corporate facilities.
Bristol Aerospace Centre will conserve and display the region’s rich aviation heritage, telling the stories of the great technological advances, including Concorde, and the role of the community and workforce. It will help people learn about and participate in this heritage, and promote learning amongst the next generation of designers, innovators and engineers.
Further details about the project will be made available by BAC Trust in the New Year, in advance of the charity making a grant funding application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.
CLICK HERE TO TRANSFER TO THE BAC TRUST WEBSITE
Bristol Aero Collection Trust Limited
Company Number: 02689238
Company Type: Private limited by guarantee without share capital
SIC Code: 9252, Museum & Preservation of Historical Sites & Buildings
HERITAGE CONCORDE FULLY SUPPORTS THE BAC TRUST
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BAC TRUST News updates
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Bristol Aerospace Centre
Briefing Paper – January 2013
Background:
The north of Bristol around Filton Airfield is one of the few centres in the world with a history of excellence in aerospace production, dating back over a century to 1910 with the creation of the British & Colonial (later, Bristol) Aeroplane Company, by Bristol-born transport entrepreneur Sir George White. Today, it is home to Rolls-Royce, Airbus, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace and numerous other aerospace-related companies that continue to make an enormous contribution to the UK’s economy.
Importantly, Bristol is home to the UK’s most iconic aircraft, Concorde, a symbol of the UK’s ambition, innovation, collaboration and technological achievement. Concorde was largely designed and built at Filton, with the first British flight taking off in 1969 and the fleet’s final supersonic flight landing at the airfield in 2003.
Vision:
A major aviation heritage museum and learning centre that inspires and entertains today’s and future generations, through the presentation of the stories and achievements of Bristol’s world-class aerospace industry – past, present and future.
Aims:
- To showcase and celebrate the region’s continued world-class achievements in aerospace.
- To promote the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths amongst young people and inspire the next generation of designers, innovators and engineers.
- To conserve the region’s rich aviation heritage, including Concorde and help people learn about and participate in this heritage.
Organisation:
Bristol Aero Collection Trust is a charity whose board of trustees includes senior-level representatives from Rolls-Royce, Airbus, BAE Systems, Bristol Airport, South Gloucestershire Council and Bristol City Council. The charity is chaired by Iain Gray, ex-Managing Director of Airbus UK and currently Chief Executive of the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board.
Project detail:
A c.9 acres site on Filton Airfield has been pledged by landowners, BAE Systems. This location is on the northern fringe of Bristol, within close proximity of the M4 and M5, and mainline rail station, Bristol Parkway. Central Bristol is approximately 20 minutes drive-time away.
The site includes two First World War, Grade II listed hangars; Hangar 16S (triple bay) and Hangar 16M (corrugated iron gable-ended) provide just over 5,000m2 of accommodation. These will be fully refurbished to provide a first class aviation heritage museum, learning spaces, archive, catering, retail facilities and workshops.
A further unlisted shed, Hangar 16R of c. 785m2 will provide storage accommodation and is currently being used, along with a part of one bay of Hangar 16S, as a temporary store for the Collection following the closure of Kemble.
A new building of c.3200m2 footprint will house Concorde, related exhibitions, technology learning centre and corporate facilities. Externally, the site layout includes adequate coach and car parking, a major event space and children’s play area.
Need:
The region’s aviation heritage is currently in various collections, many at risk or inaccessible to the public. This includes those held by Bristol Aero Collection, Bristol AiRchive, Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust and Filton Community History Group, as well as artefacts and archives held by Bristol Museums and Art Galleries, RAF Museums and private collections.
Similarly, since closure of the Concorde at Filton visitor centre in October 2010, there is no public access to the aircraft and, despite preservation work carried out by Airbus engineers, the longer the aircraft remains outside, the greater the danger of serious deterioration of the airframe.
The closure of Filton Airfield in December 2012 makes the need for an aviation legacy project and permanent home for Concorde even more urgent.
Importantly, our project relates directly to national and regional needs focused on learning and skills, and the importance of science, engineering and technology for economic growth.
Demand:
Public demand was clearly demonstrated by the huge interest in a special exhibition staged at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery from September 2010 to January 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The exhibition attracted more than 65,000 visitors over five months and was extended to meet the demand from new and repeat visitors.
Further evidence has come from a series of surveys amongst nearly 1,000 members of the general public and over 40 schools, demonstrating extraordinary levels of interest and awareness in the project and the conservation of Concorde. Some 95% of schools said they would visit because of its strong fit with the national curriculum, especially in Science and Design & Technology. Further research has recently been conducted with results available soon.
Learning Benefits:
The project will embrace higher education, secondary and primary schools, and those outside formal education and training. We will create a major new centre for formal and informal learning, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
We are forecasting a minimum 10,000 school visits per annum, with plans to provide on-line resources to around 5,000 UK and overseas schools. Although the focus will be on STEM subjects, the project will equally engage students in a wide range of subject such as geography, modern history and business studies.
We will work with our partners in the aerospace industry, education and local community groups to promote intergenerational learning and skills transfer. The approach will provide the opportunity for employers to develop the local skill base and at the same time offer a shop window on the region’s aviation activity.
Heritage Benefits:
The collection contains a wide range of Bristol-built products including aircraft, helicopters, aero-engines and missiles. As important, are the extensive archives of photographs, films, and oral and written histories illustrating the design and testing of aircraft, life for industry workers, and the history of aerospace production at Filton. Other material relating to the working lives of Filton employees includes machine and hand tools, toolboxes, uniforms, articles and literature, sports and social club memorabilia.
The project will provide the region’s aviation heritage with much improved environmental conditions as many of the items likely to be part of the new museum are currently displayed or stored in poor conditions.
It will ensure the long-term conservation of Concorde 216, which is presently in the open air.
Importantly, it will also provide the opportunity for people of all ages to become directly involved with restoration, conservation and interpretation through appropriate training and volunteering.
Community Benefits :
As well as becoming a learning hub, the museum will provide indoor and outdoor spaces for community groups to meet and hold events. The cafe and play areas will be outside of the ‘pay point’, so accessible to the community on a daily basis.
Through learning about and appreciating the achievements of the region’s people and industry, the project will promote local pride and create a sense of community cohesion.
Disabled people will be able to gain access to the heritage, especially Concorde, for the first time, and we will attract hard-to-reach audiences (such as BMEs and young people) through special programmes, activities and open days.
We will provide the opportunity for around 200 people to engage as volunteers and learn new skills such as restoration, acting as live guides, running science demonstrations and collecting oral histories, as well as engaging significant numbers of young people at the centre through community participation events.
The museum will also provide full and part-time employment opportunities for local people and draw tourist income into the region for the benefit of the community.
Sustainability :
A professional feasibility study has conservatively estimated 80,000 visitors per annum. On this basis, coupled with secondary expenditure and commercial income, the Bristol Aerospace Centre will be a profitable operation, able to fund a continuous programme of development and improvement.
Budgets and funding:
The detailed cost budget is c. £13.65m underpinned by a comprehensive fundraising strategy demonstrating that this is an achievable target. BAE Systems has already pledged £2 million in cash and £0.4 million in professional services. Further negotiations are taking place with other major corporate stakeholders.
In February 2013, the charity will make a c. £4.5 million first-round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Additional funding will be secured from other corporate players, charitable trusts and foundations, major donors and public appeal.
Timing:
The project will be officially launched in February 2013 with a view to opening in mid 2016. A detailed master programme has been prepared.
© 2003-2012 Bristol Aero Collection. Registered Charity No. 1010632
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BAE Systems have issued the following press release on 5th December 2012:
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BAE Systems commits £2.4M and land
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“BAE Systems is delighted to announce their support to the Bristol Aero Collection Trust in creating the new Bristol Aerospace Centre. The Company is working with the Centre to ensure the long-term conservation and display of an extensive collection of aerospace artefacts and archives. The Centre will exhibit the region’s rich aviation heritage, telling the stories of the Bristol’s great technological advances and the role of the community and workforce.
BAE Systems has pledged to donate 2 million pounds to the project, as well as 400,000 pounds worth of design, construction consultancy and project management support. This is a key component of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the creation of the Centre. The Trust is also in discussions with several major corporate stakeholders with regards to their support for the project.
The Centre will be located on the northern edge of Filton Airfield, on a site which has been pledged by the landowners, BAE Systems. The site includes two World War One, Grade Two listed hangars, which will be fully refurbished to provide a first class aviation heritage museum, a learning centre and an archive. A new building could potentially house Concorde 216 and related exhibitions. The site is situated on the northern fringe of Bristol in South Gloucestershire, with central Bristol approximately a 20 minute drive away.
Heritage Manager at BAE Systems and member of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, Howard Mason said: “We are proud to pledge our support for the Bristol Aero Collection Trust in their objective of creating the Bristol Aerospace Centre. Our vision for the future of Filton Airfield is that it will become a national heritage destination as well as continuing as a global beacon for advanced aerospace design and manufacturing. We hope that our commitment will encourage other companies and the people of Bristol to put their full weight behind this project.”
Project Director of the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, Lloyd Burnell said: “The Bristol Aerospace Centre will bring together Bristol’s important aviation heritage, which is currently in various collections, many inaccessible to the public. Of the British-built Concordes, only one is now located at its birthplace on Filton Airfield and it’s an exciting prospect that the museum could be able to provide a permanent home for Concorde.
The Centre will provide a fitting tribute to Bristol’s world-class aerospace industry, giving people the opportunity to learn about Bristol’s exceptional aviation heritage, and promote learning amongst the next generation of designers, innovators and engineers. We welcome BAE Systems’ generous contribution and are preparing our Heritage Lottery Fund application to be submitted early in the New Year.”
Background to the Bristol Aero Collection
Bristol Aero Collection was formed in 1988, with the aim of collecting and displaying exhibits related to the history of the Bristol Aeroplane Company and its sister organisations. From 1988 its volunteers ran a museum at Kemble near Cirencester and, after the final flight of Concorde, it operated the Concorde at Filton Visitor Centre which offered popular guided tours of the aircraft.
Background to the former Concorde Trust
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The Concorde Trust was an independent organisation, which was set up during June 2007. Its objective were to deliver the new aviation heritage centre project at Filton, Bristol (The new home for Concorde at Filton); its brief also included raising the remainder of the funds which were needed to build Concorde’s new home.
The Concorde Trust seeked to provide a new, accessible and sustainable home for Concorde 216 at Cribbs Causeway near Bristol, offering an entertaining and educational experience for all visitors, placing the supersonic aircraft in context with the region’s aerospace industry – past, present and future.
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- The Concorde Trust was a company limited by guarantee governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 5 April 2007.
- The company was incorporated on 29 May 2007 and registered as a charity with the Charity Commission on 25 June 2007.
- The board of Trustees, which couldof had up to 19 Members, met formally on a monthly basis.
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Who made up the Concorde Trust?
Directors and Trustees of the former Trust
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- Mr David Alway
- Mr David Perry
- Mr Jon Edwards
- Mr Mike Littleton
- Mr Andrew O’Brien
- Ms Jane Terry
- Mr Bryan Berry
- Mr Will Erith
- Ms Julie Finch
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The board was responsible for policy and overall management of the charity. There were four committees: Finance & Governance; Buildings & Operations; Learning and Interpretation; Fundraising & Marketing. Formal terms of reference determined the levels of delegated powers and decision-making.
The Project Director Mr Lloyd Burnell, was appointed by the Trustees during November 2008, is brief was to manage the day to day operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations, the Project Director had delegated authority, within terms of delegation approved by the trustees, for operational matters.
The employed Project Director was not a Trustee but set objectives and reported directly to the board.
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The following organisations had the right to nominate two Trustees:
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- Airbus UK
- Bristol Aero Collection
- Rolls-Royce plc
- WS Atkins plc
- Prudential Property Investment Managers
- South Gloucestershire Council
- Bristol International Airport
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216 G-BOAC in her current location at Filton
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FURTHER READING REGARDING CONCORDE AT FILTON AIRFIELD
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RESTORATION WORKS TO G-BOAF BY AIRBUS
From November 2010 through to July 2011, Airbus in the UK carried out extensive and expensive repairs to Concorde G-BOAF. These pictures stand as a photographic record of the incredible work carried out at a cost of £1.8 million
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CONCORDE AT FILTON LATEST PICTURES
October 2012: Heritage Concorde with the assistance of Airbus in the UK brings you the latest gallery of pictures of Alpha Fox, Filton’s Concorde
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CONCORDE TRUST NEWS UPDATES
5th December 2012
Major Donation for Concorde in Bristol by BAE Systems
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BAE Systems is going to donate nearly £2.5m to a project to build a permanent home the Concorde located in Bristol; this Concorde was the last one to fly and has been outside since its arrival at Filton airfield during November 2003
The company is also giving land on the northern edge of Filton Airfield to the new Bristol Aerospace Centre, which will house the famous plane. Howard Mason, heritage manager at BAE Systems, said the company was “committed to preserving Bristol’s aviation heritage”. “We hope our commitment will encourage other companies and the people of Bristol to put their full weight behind this project,” he added. The Bristol Aero Collection Trust said it was a “significant step forward”.
“The centre which the Concorde Trust has been working hard to deliver over the last few years will provide Bristol with a wonderful aviation museum. The centre will give people the opportunity to learn about Bristol aviation heritage, and help promote learning amongst the next generation of designers, innovators and engineers.” The plans for the new museum also involve the refurbishment of two World War I, Grade II listed hangars which will provide a “first-class aviation heritage museum, a learning centre and an archive”. There will be a new building which willhouse Concorde 216 and related exhibitions, as seen in the picture at top of this post.
Mr Burnell, Project Director of the Concorde Trust, has stated that the Trust all intends to submit a new application to the Heritage Lottery Fund early in the new year, this in a hope of securing this wonderful the project. “The Bristol Aerospace Centre will bring together Bristol’s important aviation heritage, which is currently in various collections, many inaccessible to the public,” said Lloyd Burnell from the trust.
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21st September 2010
The Concorde Trust has announced that great steps forward have been made to help insure that the Filton attraction will be revamped and saved for the future.
Concerns were raised over the future of Concorde Alpha Foxtrot at Filton when initial plans to create a new home for it came to nothing. Then it was announced it would be taken off display for maintenance work.
However, in a statement, the Concorde Trust says it’s working alongside Bristol Aero Collection, Airbus and other partners to find a permanent home for the plane.
They say previous plans to create a new covered museum for it fell through due to the current economic climate.
But talks have now begun once again with consultants to see how they can breathe new life into the attraction and could look to the Heritage Lottery Fund for support.
The plane will still be taken in for maintenance work next month, resulting in the closure of the current museum at the site, which brings in around 50,000 visitors a year.
At the moment it’s unclear when she will be returned as Airbus, who will be carrying out the work, need to assess what has to be done.
But the Trust say they understand the work needs to be done and that they are “grateful that Airbus is taking responsibility for preserving the aircraft so that she will be in prime condition for future display.”
They add that all parties are committed to delivering a “first-rate visitor attraction and learning facility.”
4th September 2010
Lloyd Burnell, Project Director, the Concorde Trust sent the following e-mail to Heritage Concorde
The Concorde Trust is working with Bristol Aero Collection, Airbus and other important stakeholders towards providing a permanent home for Concorde 216 and other regional aviation artefacts as part of a major heritage attraction and learning centre at Cribbs Causeway. We have not set a completion date. Please find attached a joint statement issued by Bristol Aero Collection and The Concorde Trust.
JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED BY BRISTOL AERO COLLECTION AND THE CONCORDE TRUST
Mike Littleton, Chair – The Concorde Trust
Oliver Dearden, Chair – Bristol Aero Collection
The Concorde Trust is working with Bristol Aero Collection, Airbus and other important stakeholders to find a permanent home for Concorde 216 and other regional aviation artifacts on a site at Cribbs Causeway, directly adjacent to Filton Airfield.
Previous progress has been hampered by a significant reduction in the funding market caused by the global economic crisis and by many other complex issues. However, major steps forward are now being been taken, and The Concorde Trust is currently working with a team of professional consultants, learning institution partners and the broader community to prepare applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund and other potential funding sources.
As previously noted, the Concorde is being removed from public display next month for maintenance. The Concorde Trust and Bristol Aero Collection understand the importance of the extensive maintenance checks and repairs that are required under Airbus’s agreement with British Airways, and their absolute necessity after the aircraft has been outside for so many years.
The Concorde Trust and Bristol Aero Collection are grateful that Airbus is taking responsibility for preserving the aircraft so that she will be in prime condition for future display.
We are determined to deliver a first-rate visitor attraction and learning facility that entertains and inspires, with Concorde as its iconic centrepiece. Real progress is being made and all the organisations involved are working with a common purpose.
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Airbus has also issued the following statement:
The exhibit of the Concorde at Filton is set to close on October 15 so maintenance can be performed on the iconic aircraft. A recent inspection carried out by the aircraft’s owner, British Airways, revealed the need to repair leaks and corrosion at various locations around the airframe. As such, Concorde 216 will be taken off of public display for repairs and further inspection. Whether the aircraft will be repaired under cover where it currently sits or within a hangar is to be determined.
We recognize the fact that there is disappointment that Concorde will be out of public view, but a covered environment is preferable for the maintenance required, and for the comfort of the technicians during winter months. No timeframe for returning the Concorde for public view can be provided until the extent of the maintenance required is clearly defined by further inspection once the initial maintenance begins.
Our goal is ensuring that Concorde is being looked after properly and that she is preserved and displayed in a manner befitting her iconic status.
I would be happy to meet you to address your questions where I am able to do so, and to clarify inaccurate information presented on various website.
We are all working towards the same goal, which is the preservation and presentation of Concorde 216 as a national icon.
Regards
Lloyd Burnell