Urgent Fundraising Appeal

Published: 30th Jan

We need your help to ensure steamship The SS Daniel Adamson - aka The Danny – can continue operations

Our target: £150,000 to secure her future         https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/thedanny

The SS Daniel Adamson - affectionately known as The Danny - stands as one of Britain's most significant maritime vessels. Built in 1903, she is the UK's last surviving steam-powered tug tender with its original engines intact, representing an irreplaceable piece of UK industrial maritime heritage, and listed No 15 on the National Historic Ships Register.

Why We Need Your Support

The tireless efforts of our staff and volunteers are truly inspiring, but operating, conserving, and maintaining a 122-year-old steam vessel, while meeting ever-changing passenger safety standards, requires significant expertise, resources, and funding.

Our goal is to raise £150,000 to help replace funds already spent on essential works and equipment renewals. This includes vital safety items such as new liferafts and the unexpected but necessary upgrade of the firefighting system in the engine and boiler room. Alongside these costs, external infrastructure failures have forced cruise cancellations and resulted in lost income, leaving us in a very precarious position.

We now face a difficult catch-22. Early this year, we must carry out critical engineering work on the steam boiler alongside the mandatory ten-year inspection to regain our passenger certificate. However, completing this work will leave us without enough funds to purchase our annual insurance, meaning we won’t be able to operate, earn income, or begin rebuilding our reserves.

We are currently applying for further funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. If successful, this would support the educational and vocational projects featured in this edition. However, this funding does not cover the day-to-day costs of operating The Danny, and in any case the approval process can take up to six months. While the Lottery’s past support was crucial in rescuing and refitting the vessel, it was for that specific project and does not provide ongoing operational funding.

We are incredibly grateful to supporters who made additional donations last year, and we now kindly ask for your help once again. If you are part of a philanthropic club or society, know someone with a passion for maritime or steam heritage, work for or own a company that makes charitable donations, or are aware of funding sources that support the core costs of heritage attractions, please help us spread the word and ask for their support.

Whether you are able to donate £5 or £5,000, every single contribution - no matter the size - helps protect this irreplaceable vessel.

Thank you for helping us to keep history afloat. https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/thedanny

A Story Worth Preserving

After decades of service connecting Liverpool and Manchester, The Danny narrowly escaped the scrapyard in 2004. Thanks to a team of passionate volunteers and heritage enthusiasts – the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society – this magnificent vessel was rescued and lovingly restored to her full Art Deco splendour with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. She is a testament to the craftsmanship and engineering excellence of a bygone era, and constantly strives to pay her own way.

The SS Daniel Adamson has survived two world wars, decades of service, and near oblivion at the scrapyard. With your help, we can safeguard the future of this remarkable vessel, ensuring she continues to bring people together and inspire visitors for many more years

Today, The Danny serves as a living operating museum, educational resource, community asset as well as running a programme of leisure cruises and being a popular venue for weddings and corporate events. Her powerful steam engines, elegant saloons, and rich history provide a unique window into our maritime past, connecting everyone, young and old, to our shared maritime heritage.