How the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust Came About
For over 50 years owners and enthusiasts of Bristol Cars have come together in the Bristol Owners Club (BOC) to share the experiences of ownership. Over time a considerable amount of historical data and memorabilia accumulated and as time passed the need to preserve the history surrounding the cars, as well as the cars themselves became ever more important.
In 2007 the Bristol Owners Club established an independent organisation, registered as a charity, to document, preserve and conserve the history of the marque. As well as gifting its archives to the new trust, the BOC membership agreed to an independent levy of £5.00 a year on each member which provided an important source of funding up to 2015, and has enabled the expansion and cataloguing of the archiving and funded the development of this website.
In the intervening years a second club has also been established, The Bristol Owners and Drivers Association (BODA) whose members also support the Bristol Owners Heritage Trust with a £5.00 annual levy on each of their members.
The founding trustees established the BOHT as a Registered Charity with the Charity Commissioners in 2007. Each Trustee may serve for no more than two periods of three years. There are currently five trustees.
(registered charity number 1119327)
Future Funding
As the Heritage Trust has become more established, with annual events helping provide financial support for our activities, we continue to enjoy support from members of the clubs, as well as raising money from our events.
Our Aims and Objectives
Our principle aim is to create the primary repository of Bristol Cars related material in the World, accessible to as wide an audience as possible, by:
- Collecting advertising material, factory and other workshop manuals, books, publicity material, all other printed and photographic material.
- Filming video interviews with people directly connected to the design, manufacture, sales and racing of the cars.
- Providing a safe haven for all time.
- Covering all periods of operations.
- Cataloguing the existing archive.
- Making the Catalogue Index accessible via website.
- Providing an Archivist with time, capability and interest to support the collection.
- Providing free access to BOC/BODA/BOHT members on request.
- Acquiring trophies, works of art, engineering items and other artefacts.
- Securing museum space to display key artefacts.
All this of course takes time, materials and money. But most of all we need volunteers.
Volunteers
The only requirement to become a volunteer is enthusiasm and a skill set you think will be useful. We currently need assistance with archiving on the ground in Bristol, the home of the marque, although wherever you are in the world you can help us with web master skills, copywriting, and anyone with a passion for any specific aspect of Bristol Cars who would like to become an expert and champion for that aspect is welcome.
Please just email us your details on info@bocheritagetrust.com
Bristol Owners Heritage Trust 