Servicing and Shore-based Volunteers

This is another page very much under construction.

As well as my list of the physical builders of the Cambria – shipwrights, Riggers, Painters and so on we recognise the high and important value of the contribution made by those Volunteers who may have never swung a maul or dipped a paintbrush into the ‘Rosie Glow’. These are the folk who show the public round the barge or the Visitor Centre, staff the exhibitions at the Fleur de Lis, cater at functions, run the Shop, organise bed linen for the Sail Trainees and all the myriad other jobs which go on behind the scenes. These are largely unsung heroes of both genders. We have also included the all important Officials and Directors of the Trust. I thank Nancy Brambleby and Cathy Chapman who have compiled a starter list which I have reproduced below. It will be by no means complete and if anyone reading this can think of anyone else or other tasks which should be included, please do let us know. Also if you know the real names of some of these folk. We are bound to have forgotten someone, and we in no way want to cause offence or show a lack of gratitude.

Servicing and Shore-based Volunteers in Alphabetical Order

Blue Ant                          Website management

John Ash                         Gravesend supporter and Photographer

Rob Bassi                        (former) Operations Manager

John Bentley                 Carpenter

Basil Brambleby          ‘Boss of Volunteers’, all manner of preparing the barge for charters

Nancy Brambleby      Volunteer

Reuben Brambleby     Aid with electrics

Judy Brown                   Volunteer for Baltic House Visitor Centre

Jill Bullen                        Volunteer for Baltic House Visitor Centre & painting

Cathy Chapman            Membership Sec and Shop (Also Help with funding doing Markets and Nautical festivals)

Brian Clayton                 Education

Alan Cordell                   Earlier Membership Secretary & Volunteer

Catherine de Bont        For support going back many years (R.I.P)

Tony Ellis                        Founder (R.I.P.)

Francesca Ellis              Funding

Tricia Gurnett                Gravesend supporter

John Kempton               (Medway Queen Project leader who helped us show the public round many times during the rebuild)

Mike Maloney               (and the Team at Countrywide Productions) The ‘Red Sails’ Film

Hilary Morley                Volunteer for Baltic House Visitor Centre & painting

Barry Meade                  Painting and Liferaft expertise

Ian Meaden                    General Supporter

Roger Newlyn                Gravesend supporter

Simon North                   Volunteer, videoing of Cambria, ‘Noble Life’ film

Julian Parkes                  Committee, river support

Guy Peto                          (former) Operations Manager

Kitty Richardson           Catering

Bruce Richardson         Chairman, Fundraising

Robert Simper                Articles, Book written “The Cambria Story”

Frank Spice, Snr              Barge know-how volunteer (Also involved heavily in ‘rescue’ of Cambria hulk prior to restoration)

Frank Spice, Jnr              Volunteer

Roy Stanbrook                 Insurance

Michael White                 Faversham Supporter

Bob at Gravesend           Engineer who did vital work.

I am 100% with a suggestion from Cathy Chapman that we wish there was a way of winning awards or providing some kind of official recognition for all of these people, some of whom have worked really hard and effectively over many years, in some cases going right back to the pre-restoration days when Lottery Money was just a dream.  (If a sail could be organised once a year for these volunteer’s of  a way of saying thank you that would be nice.  But as yet nothing has happened.?)