Supporting Future Engineers with the SS Great Britain Trust

The next generation of engineers holds the keys to our future. We must inspire, guide, and teach them as much as we can. That’s what our corporate partnership with the SS Great Britain Trust does.

In Christmas 2025, we supported the SS Great Britain’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. We did it with a donation to support the work they do for the community with the Golden Ticket programme and Future Brunels programmes in Bristol.

A partnership to give potential future STEM stars a spark of curiosity for engineering. A unified goal to build a better future.  

Opening the Door to Engineering

For some children it’s difficult to have engineering as a career choice. Like most trades, engineering usually starts when you get a chance to see it in action. Unfortunately, for many children, that opportunity never comes.

School visits and hands‑on workshops can often be the first time young people see engineering as something tangible, something within reach. These opportunities are sometimes limited by cost, which can get in the way of their future.

Think about transport, entry fees, and workshop costs. All these combined can make visits impossible for schools already under pressure.

Seetru’s contribution to the Big Give Christmas Challenge in 2025 helped minimise that barrier. The donation meant that schools with more than 50% of pupils receiving free school meals could visit the SS Great Britain free of charge. It’s an experience many students would not otherwise have had.

Through our partnership with the SS Great Britain Trust, our donation represents an impact equivalent to:

• 2,095 students visiting the ship, or
• 222 funded education workshops and guided tours

Each visit to the SS Great Britain provides students with access to the history and innovation in engineering. Set in a learning environment that brings the subject to life.

“Seetru is proud to support the SS Great Britain Trust in sparking curiosity and creativity in local school children.” 

– Mark Gracey, Chief Financial Officer

Bristol’s Engineering History

Bristol has always played a central role in British engineering.

It was here that Isambard Kingdom Brunel pushed boundaries and challenged convention. He transformed the approach to how engineering problems are addressed. The SS Great Britain stands as a physical reminder of that mindset. A ship that represented a change in materials, propulsion, and thinking.

That heritage is important to preserve and care for. It shows us and future generations what is possible when curiosity, skill, and courage come together.

For young people growing up in and around Bristol, the SS Great Britain is not just a museum. It’s proof that engineering has always been part of their city, their community, and their future.

Making Access Possible with The Golden Ticket Programme

The SS Great Britain’s Golden Ticket programme focuses on one idea: access to opportunity for children by providing funded school visits to the SS Great Britain. Covering travel, admission, and workshop costs. It removes financial barriers and allows students to take part without cost being an obstacle to opportunity.

Furthermore, each child receives a Golden Ticket that allows them to return with their family for free. That turns a school visit into something bigger. Students can take the experience home. Giving them the chance to share what they have learned, and open the door to conversations about engineering beyond the classroom.

We all understand the importance of education. That is why the SS Great Britain aligns its workshops with the British national curriculum. Focusing on problem‑solving, teamwork, and applied thinking. For many students, this is their first experience of engineering. An experience provided in a practical and creative setting rather than a theoretical one.

Students are more than their grades, and with the right exposure and support. Many will flourish in ways traditional classroom learning alone cannot unlock.

From Exposure to Future Engineers with the Future Brunels Programme

While early exposure plays an important role, inspiration needs time to grow.

The SS Great Britain Trust provides The Future Brunels programme. It works with students over a longer period. Supporting secondary‑age pupils through sustained STEM engagement. Rather than a single visit, students take part in a range of activities over several years. Helping build their confidence and understanding as they go.

Participants get the opportunity to discover what engineering entails. They visit organisations, meet people working in a range of roles, and explore how STEM skills translate into long-term careers. This helps students understand not only what engineering is, but where it can take them.

Designed to keep doors open, this programme is for the most part, for students who may not otherwise see engineering as an accessible path.

A Local Partnership with Lasting Impact

With over 75 years of engineering expertise, we design, and manufacture liquid level gauges, window sight glasses and valves. Each one of these components go to different industries in all corners of the world. Their job is to protect thousands of lives and businesses. From the marine industry and offshore platforms, to your local brewery and beyond.

Our partnership with the SS Great Britain Trust is about empowering future generations. Giving them opportunities and sharing the Bristolian engineering heritage as a platform to inspire them and strengthen the communities around us.

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Proudly supporting the SS Great Britain Trust, the dedicated education charity and museum.

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FAQ’s about the SS Great Britain