For the past few weeks, we’ve been working with the trustees of Sailing Barge Victor on the identity and launch campaign for Save Our Victor.  The aim is simple: to keep Victor in Ipswich, where she belongs.  Built in Ipswich in 1895, Victor is an important part of our town’s history. She helped establish Ipswich as an agricultural port, carrying goods around the East of England. Today, one of only 30 sailing barges left in the UK, she’s a familiar landmark on our waterfront and a historical link to our maritime past. But her future is at risk.

The trustees, Andrew Harston MBE, Judy Harrison and Clive Allen, need to raise £100,000 to buy Victor and secure her future in Ipswich. Without this money, we could lose her from the town for good. 

We wanted to create a campaign that felt as distinctive as Victor. Taking inspiration from the lettering on her hull, her colours and her character, we’ve developed a campaign identity to help tell her story and bring people together to save her.  Alongside film-maker Kate Flurrie, we photographed a trip aboard Victor to show what makes her so special and why keeping her in Ipswich matters. 

The trustees intend to build on her successful schools programme, giving more young people the chance to discover Ipswich’s history and waterfront. They also want to introduce them to maritime careers, keep traditional skills alive and create opportunities for people to come together through events, activities and volunteering.

The campaign launches today and we’re proud to be supporting it.  At WHAT Associates, we believe in using our skills for good, to support causes that matter. We’re pleased to be contributing our time and creative work to help protect an important piece of Ipswich’s history. To make a donation and find out more, please visit https://www.ourvictor.org/

WHAT associates Ltd: branding, campaign identity Wendy Hodgson & Tim Hodgson
Social media: Amy Taylor
The Victor 1895 Community Heritage Trust | Charity No: 1219359
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