LONDON.- The Mary Rose has been awarded ‘Volunteer Led Visitor Experience of the Year’ at the VE:Forum Visitor Experience Awards. The awards ceremony was held at an evening reception at the Wellcome Collection, London on the 8th of August.

The awards reward Visitor Experience teams’ work in museums, galleries and attractions across the UK.

The ‘Volunteer Led Visitor Experience’ award recognises volunteer teams that have delivered consistently excellent service to visitors.

Also nominated in this category was the Science Museum.

Helen Bonser-Wilton, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust, says: “We are thrilled that our volunteers have been recognised at the Visitor Experience Awards for their hard work and are incredibly proud of their continued achievements!”

The Mary Rose underwent a complete revamp in 2016, with views of the ship opened up from all three decks and nine galleries through full length glazing. On the Upper Deck, visitors pass through an airlock and breathe the same air as Henry VIII’s flagship. To bring the ship to life, state of the art projections of the crew were introduced, showing them going about their everyday lives in wartime and peacetime.

The Mary Rose provides a unique and immersive journey into Tudor Life, with all the sights, smells and sounds of life in England in the reign of Henry VIII. The stories of individual crew members are presented through thousands of personal possessions and professional tools. Visitors can see interactive displays, artefact handling and live action events too.

The Mary Rose is rated as the Number One Attraction in Portsmouth on TripAdvisor, where comments such as ‘breathtaking’, ‘astonishing’ and ‘spellbinding’ are regularly received.