When the steam yacht Aries was launched in 1873 it marked the start of shipbuilding in Barrow.
Now, over 150 years later, the town is maybe getting the recognition it deserves for the part it continues to play in the UK’s maritime history.
The King’s decision to confer Royal Status on the port comes as eyes are again increasingly looking at the defence industry and the people who create the equipment needed in a changing world.
Astute, the Royal Navy’s latest submarine class, is still under construction at BAE Systems.
The first of class was commissioned 15 years ago while the final two of an order for seven are in stages of construction. Inside the cavernous Devonshire Dock Hall another class, Dreadnought, is being built to carry the UK’s nuclear deterrent and is due to enter service in the early 2030s.
Looking on were some of the thousands who now work at BAE Systems on both submarine projects, a far cry from the lean years which are still a recent memory for some when the fate of the shipyard looked far from certain.
Today recruitment is very much the name of the game.
The Barrow submarine workforce alone has grown by more than 1000 people in the past six months with those working in the nuclear sector said to be earning around 20% above the national average wage.
More than 30,000 jobs across the country are said to be supported by the Dreadnought programme. Barrow is also playing a vital role in delivering the AUKUS programme, a joint endeavour between Australia, the United States and the UK.
Yet finding the skills needed to ensure the deterrent is delivered on time is tough. Barrow-built Vanguard boats, the first of which was launched in 1992, need replacing. Sir Keir saw for himself the conditions submariners live in during a visit to a Vanguard class sub returning to the UK from patrol.
Team Barrow, the group made up of government, Westmorland and Furness Council and BAE Systems, has been charged with spending £20m a year for the next decade with a main aim to market the town to a workforce who will be needed for decades to come.
So is Royal Status more than just a name?
“Like many I suspect, I admit I had to set aside my initial scepticism that our calls for Royal status would be heeded, so today’s news is such a welcome surprise,” Councillor Matt Brereton, the Barrow-born deputy leader of the Conservative Group on Westmorland and Furness Council, said.
“It is recognition of the upward trajectory the town is on, with the Team Barrow funding starting to be spent, town centre regeneration, a jobs boom in both the defence and green energy sectors, and a new university campus set to open its doors in September.”
He added: “None of these things in isolation will be transformative, but taken together, and with the buy-in from local people and businesses, the future is certainly bright for Barrow.”
Simon Fell, the town’s former MP who lobbied for the Royal recognition, said: “This celebrates and recognises the past – that for over 150 years Barrow and its people have quietly got on with the job of building the boats that have kept us and our allies safe.
“They haven’t been showy about it – they’ve just got on with it. That takes a special character, and I’m over the moon that our friends, families, and their forebears are being recognised for it.”
The town’s current MP is hoping King Charles will come to Barrow to formally mark the Royal connection.
Writing on Facebook the Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham said: “I know that His Majesty hopes to visit the town in due course to “mark the town’s proud heritage and prosperous future”, and if and when he does visit I know he will be enthusiastically welcomed and it will be a massive occasion for our area.”
So will the name make a difference to the town?
“This status matters because it’s about addressing the negative perceptions of Barrow and the town and its people receiving the recognition it rightly deserves in a positive light at long last,” Ben Shirley, Dalton north ward councillor said.
For Team Barrow the pace of work is gearing up. Details of where some of that investment will be going has been shared.
Headteachers from Barrow’s primary and secondary schools will be asked to help decide how at least £5m from a ‘Brilliant Futures Fund’ will be used to ‘strengthen learning and increase attainment.’
The newly appointed chair, former senior civil servant Dr Simon Case, is the man charged with leading the team who will spend the £200m investment.
“It’s critically important for children to receive a good quality education, so we’re delighted to launch the Brilliant Futures Fund and work in partnership with schools in Barrow to help pupils thrive and achieve their ambitions,” Dr Case said.
“Today’s school children are our future workforce and we must work together and collaborate to give them the best possible start in life, to ensure they have the skills and aspirations needed to enjoy a rewarding career, hopefully here in Barrow.”
Meanwhile grants awarded from Team Barrow’s £5m Social Impact Fund have been distributed.
Among those receiving a share of £650,000 from the pot are charities and community groups such as the mental health charity, Mind in Furness.
“Mind in Furness are delighted and incredibly grateful to have been allocated funding from Team Barrow and the award is particularly welcome following an incredibly challenging year where funding for our core services has been difficult to secure,” Karen Dobson, chief executive officer at Mind in Furness, said.
“Like many local charities delivering vital work we face similar challenges in the year ahead so Team Barrow funding offers us much needed breathing space to consider how we address the issue of longer term sustainability and allows us the space to work alongside our VCFSE partners and the Team Barrow board to address how we contribute to the vision of a thriving town where the wellbeing of all our residents is a priority.”
Team Barrow will also work with Cumbria Community Foundation to develop a separate fund worth £85,000, which will provide community groups and organisations access to smaller grants.
“We want to make sure as many residents as possible can take advantage of the employment opportunities here in Barrow, ably supported by a team of dedicated charity workers and volunteers,” Dr Case said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Barrow will doubtless serve to boost the confidence of those who already work in the defence industry across Cumbria and maybe highlight the opportunities on offer here for those with in-demand skills who currently don’t.
