Girlguiding South West England take the Mary Rose Museum by storm

The award-winning Mary Rose Museum houses the wreck of the famous warship which sank in 1545 plus thousands of extraordinary Tudor artefacts. The ship and her contents were painstakingly excavated before the hull was raised in October 1982. To celebrate this milestone the museum team have created a special Mary Rose badge in partnership with Girlguiding SouthWest. The badge activity pack contains history, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), food and craft activities. It can be used by group leaders in unit or alongside a loan pack or visit to the museum.

To launch the badge, the Mary Rose Museum invited 120 Girlguides to take part in a variety of activities. Girls from across the region got a chance to work in teams to load and fire a full-size replica gun, guess the use of mystery artefacts and compare modern and Tudor food to decide if we are healthier than our Tudor ancestors.

The day coincides with the national Kids in Museums Takeover Day event in November, an event designed to empower young people and allow them to takeover roles in heritage organisations. A key part of the experience day was hearing first-hand what GirlGuides thought about the museum, the activities and how we can bring the stories they are most interested in to life in the future. The museum team take every opportunity to hear from young people to inform their planning and help steer the course of the museum for the next 40 years.

Girls involved in the experience day earned themselves the newly launched ‘The Mary Rose’ event badge for taking part in the day.

Emily Stephens (13) and Keira Wells (13), of 1st Carisbrooke Guides, Isle of Wight, said:

"We thought it was great seeing the ship and the artefacts, we couldn't believe how it survived and how they lifted it all from the seabed. We had a great day!"

Charley Chamberlain, Mary Rose Learning Officer and Rainbow unit leader, said

“It may have been all men on the Mary Rose in 1545, but the modern story of the excavation and conservation of the ship owes much to incredible women such as the late Archaeological Director Margaret Rule, diver, curator and author Alexandra Hildred and Deputy CEO and Material Scientist Professor Eleanor Schofield. We want girls to hear about their stories and be inspired to try new things and make a difference in the world.”

Laura Cottey, South West England Chief Commissioner, said:

"We are delighted to be partnering with The Mary Rose Museum to celebrate the Kids in Museum takeover day. The opportunity for girls and young women to take part in a range of activities such as learning about the jobs on board the ship and firing full-size replica cannon and to experience the museum during its special anniversary year is fantastic. The resource pack and badge will mean that no matter where in the South West they are, they can still experience history and science activities relating to this historic ship. We are really grateful to The Mary Rose Museum and their learning team for facilitating such a brilliant day."

Girlguiding is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK. By giving just one or two hours a week, our volunteers help local girls and young women enjoy a wide range of exciting activities, as well as acquire new skills and experiences – and have fun at the same time.

Girlguiding recently revealed a revamped programme of activities and badges bringing everything up to date to create a unique and extensive choice of activities which reflects the diversity of girls and modern life in the 21st century. New badges include Entrepreneur, Inventing, Navigator, Craftivism and Self-care.

The charity welcomes volunteers of all backgrounds, ages, cultures, faiths and abilities. For more information about volunteering with Girlguiding in South West England, visit https://www.girlguidingsouthwest.org.uk/join-us .

Upon becoming king in 1509, Henry VIII immediately commissioned two warships with his own money, one of which was the Mary Rose. She served the King for over 34 years until she sank in the Battle of the Solent in July 1545, with the loss of over 460 crew on board. Dramatically raised in October 1982, you can now see the Mary Rose and thousands of authentic, everyday Tudor objects displayed in the award-winning Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The ship and her collection are unparalleled anywhere in the world and give an insight into life 500 years ago.

The museum was awarded more than £30m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Lottery Heritage Fund supporting not only the ground-breaking conservation of the vessel but also the creation of an award-winning museum which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

2022 marks the 40^th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose – a number of events and activities are planned throughout the year so please keep an eye on our website.