Royal Marines, celebrities and historians have called on the British people to donate £2.5m and complete the Corps’ new museum.
More than £12m has been raised to fund the project – through donations, handouts from foundations and a substantial injection of National Lottery money, including £4.4m handed over last year.
The final push for donations – via https://donate.nmrn.org.uk – is to complete the exhibitions, displays and themed zones of the new-look museum in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard.
The marines have been minus a museum for nearly a decade: the long-standing location in Eastney closed in 2017 when the cost of renovation and general layout of the building ruled it out for further use.
Its successor, branded the Royal Marines Experience and housed in an historic boathouse which hosted the Action Stations exhibit since the turn of the century, will open this summer.
The goal of the new attraction is to combine history and remembrance with an interactive insight into the world of current and future commando operations.
Visitors will learn what it takes to become a Royal Marine Commando, then try their hands at some of the activities the green berets are world-renowned for, such as trying their hand at raiding operations through a RIB exhibition, tackle a climbing wall and see how they fare at close-quarters combat courtesy of a Laser Quest / Virtual Reality experience.
They will step back through 360 years of history to learn of past achievements, reflect on sacrifices in a dedicated room of remembrance featuring the photographs and portraits of more than 500 Royal Marines who have given their lives in the service of their country since 1664.
The fundraising push has the backing of veterans, families, celebrities who have worked with the marines, and every living Commandant General – the head of the Corps.
The Royal Marines Experience matters because it captures that truth, not as myth, but in the voices of the people who lived it
- – Actor and presenter Ross Kemp
In a joint statement the latter state simply: “The Royal Marines have always done their duty. Now we ask the nation to do the same.”
Actor and presenter Ross Kemp, who filmed with 45 Commando in Afghanistan, said: “I’ve been with Royal Marines on the ground, and you see it up close, the discipline, the humour, the calm under pressure, and the fierce loyalty to the person beside them.
“The Royal Marines Experience matters because it captures that truth, not as myth, but in the voices of the people who lived it.”
Historian and TV presenter Dan Snow said that the history of the Royal Marines was intwined with more than 360 years of the nation’s history.
“The Royal Marines Experience will safeguard that living history and share it with the public in a powerful, modern way,” he said. “If you value our national story and the sacrifices of those who served, this is a story worth backing.”
Funds raised will go directly towards exhibition design and the hands-on interactives and experiences that tell the past, present and future story of the Royal Marines.
And a significant portion of funds raised will go towards the running and upkeep of a free-to-access Remembrance Room, where families can reflect on and remember those who gave their lives in service to their country.
It’s the interactive nature of the new building which, says Matthew Sheldon, CEO of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, should give the public a greater understanding of what it takes to earn the commando’s green beret.
“We want our new Royal Marines Experience to bring visitors closer to the tests of their training and the reality of their deployment, using real voices and remarkable objects,” he said.
“We’ve created a new national home that connects their long tradition to the professionalism, courage and pride of today’s commandos.
“We want every visitor to leave with a deeper understanding of history, but also and especially of the challenges faced by these men and women on behalf of the nation, in a period of such change.”
Please donate here: https://donate.nmrn.org.uk
