Roundtable meeting with Kate Osbourne MP

We are moving in the right direction, and this week felt like a really important step forward for the Shipyard Heritage Museum and for the wider conversation about how we remember and commemorate our shipbuilding history.

I attended a roundtable meeting with Kate Osborne MP, representatives from North East Museums and others who are involved in planning how Jarrow should mark the 90th anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade. The purpose of the meeting was not just to discuss events for October, but to talk about what the legacy of the anniversary should be and what, if anything, should be created that lasts beyond a single year of commemorations.

That is a really important question, because the Jarrow Crusade was not just a one-day event or a moment in history that can be remembered with a plaque or an exhibition for a few months. It was a response to something much bigger - the closure of the shipyards and the collapse of the industry that had built the town and employed generations of families. If we are commemorating the Crusade, we also have to recognise the industry, the communities and the people whose lives led to that moment. You cannot properly tell the story of the Jarrow Crusade without telling the story of the shipyards.

During the meeting I presented the case for a standalone Shipyard Heritage Museum, located close to where the shipyards once stood. The idea is not just about creating a museum in the traditional sense, but about creating something that preserves the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne while also creating something that benefits the area today and in the future - through tourism, education, skills, research and jobs. If we are going to create a legacy for the 90th anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, it should be something permanent, something meaningful and something that future generations can see and understand.

The response in the room was very positive. There was a genuine appetite to preserve our history and a recognition that any legacy project should not just be about short-term events or temporary exhibitions, but something that leaves a lasting impact. There was also a lot of discussion around regeneration, tourism, education and the importance of telling the story of the region properly. It was encouraging to see that the idea of a Shipyard Heritage Museum is being taken seriously and is now part of the wider conversation about the future of Jarrow and how we commemorate our history.

After the meeting, I attended the Jarrow & Hebburn History Society meeting and spoke with local residents and people who have a deep knowledge of the area and its history. The conversations in that room reinforced exactly why this project matters so much. So many people have personal connections to the shipyards - either they worked there themselves, their parents did, their grandparents did, or their streets and communities were built around the yards. The shipyards are not just history here; they are part of living memory and part of many families’ stories.

That is why this project has never been just a personal project. It started because of my own family’s connection to the shipyards, but very quickly it became clear that this story belongs to thousands of families across the region. Every time someone signs the petition, shares a story, sends a message, or speaks to us about their memories of the yards, it reinforces that this is a community project and something that people really care about.

When I attend meetings like this, I am not there just as an individual with an idea. I am there representing everyone who has signed the petition, everyone who has shared the campaign, everyone who has stopped us in the street to talk about the shipyards, and everyone who wants to see our history properly recognised and remembered. Every signature, every conversation and every story adds weight to this idea and helps move it forward.

Projects like this take time, planning, funding and a lot of work, but what is becoming clear is that the conversation has now started. People are talking about it, organisations are aware of it, and there is growing support for the idea that the shipbuilding history of this region deserves something permanent and something worthy of its importance.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far. This project is growing because of the community behind it, and together we will continue pushing forward and working towards making a Shipyard Heritage Museum a reality.