Sammy Ofer gives £20 million to National Maritime Museum
Howard Lake | 30 March 2008 | News
The National Maritime Museum (NMM) has received a donation of £20 million from shipping magnate and philanthropist Sammy Ofer. It claims that this is "the largest single donation by an individual to a cultural project in the UK".
The donation will help fund the creation of a new wing at the heart of its Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
Ofer served in the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean during World War II. The international shipping group which he founded operates a significant part of its fleet from London with over 90 vessels flying the Red Ensign.
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Photo: (l-r) Chairman of the National Maritime Museum) (NMM Director)
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, commented on the major gift, saying: "This generous donation by Mr Ofer will help to ensure that current and future generations understand better the crucial role played by the sea in our history and the lives of those who depended upon it. I applaud this opportunity to promote engagement with our maritime past, present and future, which has only been made possible by this unique gift to the nation."
www.nmm.ac.uk
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.