Sponsorship and Donation Opportunities

The Royal Aero Club Collection

One aim of the Trust is to make available to the public the history of aviation by the conservation of The Royal Aero Club’s unique collection of archives, records, trophies, paintings, books and albums and ephemera most of which are kept at the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon.

The Trust operates an Adopt-a-Painting scheme. Donations to restore several RAeC paintings of historic importance are needed. A list of these painting will soon be on display on the website: www.royalaeroclubtrust.org. The donor's name can be shown on the frame. Sponsorship is from the mid-three figure range, upwards. It may also be possible for paintings, following restoration, to be loaned to sponsors for display in their premises.

The Trust also operates an Adopt-a-Book & Adopt-an-Album scheme. The donor’s name can be recorded on a bookplate on the inside the cover. Sponsorship is sought for the following:

• • Hedges Butler Albums - The 20 albums contain press cuttings and other material from 1756. The project involves - stabilising of the albums, microfilming, digitising and indexing. 10 albums have been processed. We now seek sponsorship in the region of £4,000 to complete microfilming and digitising. Images of the 1st six albums already are displayed on the website of the British Balloon & Airship Club. The Index of the contents of the 1st six albums is now on display on the website: www.royalaeroclubtrust.org

  • Claude Grahame White Albums - 59 albums contain early aviation press cuttings and photographs. 31 still need to be conserved / stabilised. They may need to be microfilmed, digitised and indexed at a future date. This work needs sponsorship in the region of £7,000.

Royal Aero Club Archives

951 files and boxes of archives include Minute books, official reports, photographs and original letters relating to the Hon. C.S. Rolls, Major Baden-Powell, the Wright Brothers, Louis Blériot, Alcock & Brown, Lady Houston and the Schneider Trophy Races, Jean Batten, Amy Johnson, Lord Brabazon, and other famous aviators. They were in serious danger of disintegration and if these items were to be damaged or destroyed they would be lost for ever. No copies or duplicates exist. Over a period of 2¼ years NADFAS Heritage Volunteers (National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies) have now stabilised the archives. A basic list of the contents of these files is displayed on the website: www.royalaeroclubtrust.org. The next project is to identify and caption around 7,000 photographs. The equipment to scan and digitise these has been donated by the RAF Museum. NADFAS volunteers are now working on this project in cooperation with Air-Britain. To unlock the archive's real potential and make this material useful it is essential that it is now indexed. At some stage the archives need to be microfilmed and digitised. For these various projects sponsorship in the region of £45,000 is needed.

RAeC Minute Books

These are a unique record of the history of sporting, military and commercial aviation in the United Kingdom since 1901. All 20 Minutes books for the period 1901 to 1956 have been located. These books now urgently need rebinding, conserving. The 1st five volumes have been processed. To complete this project £2,500 is required. It is also the intention is to publish an index of these Minute Books on the Trust's website. Regrettably the Minute Books for the period 1956 to 1965 are still missing. The Trust would welcome any information leading to their recovery.

Trust Communication Sponsorship

Communication includes stationery (letterheads, leaflets, etc.), photocopying, printing, postage and costs directly relating to telephone and e-mail. The sponsor’s name and logo and can be displayed on all electronically produced material. Sponsorship is around £2,000 per year. Ideally this sponsorship would be for several years.

Flying for Youth - Air Sport Bursaries for Youngsters

The Trust seeks sponsors and benefactors to assist with providing grants to youngsters aged 16 to 21 years, including those who may be disadvantaged, to assist them to achieve their full social, physical and intellectual potential through air sports. Sponsorship of a single bursary is £500. Bursaries can be linked with the name of the Sponsor and / or the Sponsor's product.

• • Flying Bursaries provide grants to young people who must already have a basic qualifications in their particular air sport. The object is to encourage higher air sport qualifications.

  • FlightSim Bursaries are awarded to outstanding youngsters who are 'Desktop Pilots' to enable them to gain real or hands-on flying or air sport experience in any recognised air sport activity.

Friends of the Royal Aero Club Trust leaflets

From time to time the Trust needs to update its leaflets to stimulate greater national awareness. Also to inform corporate and individual benefactors how they can assist the Trust. Leaflets need to be distributed at - air shows and other outdoor & indoor events; also through many hundreds of air sports clubs. The sponsor’s name and logo could be display ed on leaflets. Leaflet sponsorship is in the three figure range.

Museum Show Cases and establishing a Royal Aero Club Gallery within the RAF Museum, Hendon

The Trust aims to interest the public in all aspects of aviation through the display of The Royal Aero Club’s unique collection of trophies, photographs and archival material.

The Trust has the use of one Show Case. Only a very few items are on display at the RAF Museum, Hendon. Donations or Sponsorship is in the region of £3,000 is sought. Show cases can display the donor’s name.

 It is essential to have available 'exhibition quality copies' of a number of the original and unique documents and photographs from the RAeC Collection, as it is not possible to on public display any of the original material without causing it permanent damage. Sponsorship is in the region of £1,000.

 As only one case is on display, very few items can be shown. This Gallery will be located within the RAF Museum, Hendon. The donor’s name can be associated with the Gallery. It is the intention that the gallery would also be on the Trust's website and open to visitors world-wide for a ‘virtual’ visit. A sketch of the Gallery prepared by the RAF Museum is available. Sponsorship is around £45.000.

Sponsorship to enable Royal Aero Club Trust participation at AirShows and Exhibitions

The Trust funds are severely limited and prohibit the Trust exhibiting at various national and international shows and exhibitions which would raise the profile of the Trust and present the Trust activities to a wider audience than is presently possible. Sponsorship is sought from commercial organisations either by contributing to the cost of a dedicated Trust stand or by allocating space within a corporate stand for a small display by the Trust.

Scanning & digitising equipment

The Trust urgently requires a Book Scanner incorporating appropriate software to be able to process the contents of albums and documents. The sum required to rent equipment is £120 per annum, for a period of not less than 5 years.

Benefits for Sponsors – The Royal Aero Club Trust website and use of Trust name and Logo

Subject to agreement the sponsor’s name and/or logo can be displayed on the RAeC Trust website: www.royalaeroclubtrust.org. A hyperlink to the sponsor’s website can also be arranged. Subject to approval of art work, permission may be granted to use the Royal Aero Club Trust name and logo on the donor’s stationery and on some of their publications.

Subject to approval of art work, permission may be granted to use the Royal Aero Club Trust name and logo on the donor’s stationery and on some of their publications.

For further information please contact us.