LV= sponsors Mary Rose Museum

Insurance, investment and pensions group LV= has announced a sponsorship of the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, which is due to open its doors to the public in 2012.

The Bournemouth-based friendly society has signed up to sponsor this high profile visitor attraction for five years from its opening (to end of 2016), and has also committed to support the project over the next two years as the new museum moves towards completion.

As one of this country's most important heritage projects, £35 million will be spent on the final conservation phase of the legendary Tudor warship's hull and the building of this permanent, state of the art museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.  By offering the public a highly personal and interactive experience of the Mary Rose and its history, the museum expects to attract around half a million UK and international visitors each year.

David Radford, Group Marketing Director at LV= said:  "Our purpose is to help members and customers look after what they love in life, and this sponsorship provides an ideal fit with this approach.  As a fast-growing South Coast employer we value the importance of protecting our heritage whilst supporting a state-of-the-art project and we're proud to support the new Mary Rose Museum."

Rear Admiral John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust commented:  "We are delighted to have LV= on-board as a major sponsor of the Mary Rose Museum.  We have a unique opportunity to launch a world-class museum and to preserve for future generations this extraordinary ship and all her treasures, Soon people all over the UK, and indeed the world, will have chance to see the Mary Rose reunited with her artefact collection, up close and  providing  a remarkable and personal insight into life 500 years ago'. "

The sponsorship is the latest in a range of LV= hands-on initiatives to support Bournemouth and the surrounding South Coast region, including:

The long-running LV= KidZone child safety initiative, which last year alone helped reunite 182 lost children with their families when they became separated on Bournemouth's beaches.

The award-winning LV=Streetwise interactive education centre, visited in 2009 by 13,000 children to learn how to stay safe in real life street, transport and home situations. 

The ‘Kiss It Better' appeal which last year LV= raised £90,000 for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital through a series of events.

David Radford, continued: "All these initiatives strongly involve our focus to help protect children and their future and we are proud of LV='s contributions to our local community through sponsorship and employee volunteering.  We are already expanding our activities in 2010 and becoming part of the Government sponsored CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme to reduce carbon dioxide (co2) emissions."

For further information on the Mary Rose Appeal, visit maryrose500.org.

Or visit maryrose.org for more general information on the project.