Looking back over 2022, the Insurance Museum has come a long way. Just thinking of what we have done this year, a few highlights spring to mind:
- We have written articles and features on insurance history for the Insurance Museum website, Newsletter and IM Members.
- The Insurance Museum had a wonderful display at the BIBA and MGAA conferences, where we engaged with a wide spectrum of insurance professionals. We got our message out there and many people signed up to the Newsletter to be kept up to date with progress.
- The Insurance Museum Membership was launched, now over 100 founder members and is still growing. If you would like to become a member or purchase a membership for someone as a gift, then please visit www.insurance.museum/membership
- We have given talks at conferences, live online lectures and podcasts. We have looked at how the Museum came about and even how I came to be in insurance in the first place.
One of the most exciting projects this year has been the development and publication of our online galleries. The first gallery, ‘Rising from the Ashes’ – www.insurance.museum/rising-from-the-ashes was launched last autumn and told the story of the birth of fire insurance following the historic Great Fire of London – the event which was instrumental in highlighting the need for fire insurance.
‘Fuelled by Coffee’, which has now been launched, tells the story of the newly formed insurance companies that proliferated in the early 18th century and was inspired by how important English coffee houses were to network, debate and conduct business, including the famously renowned Lloyd’s Coffee House.
A special thanks for all the donations we’ve received for the second gallery, in particular to the Education and Training Trust of the Chartered Insurance Institute. Also a big thank you to all the contributors and collectors, historians and experts in their field that have helped with the content for the gallery, including Anna Stone and the team at the AVIVA Group Archive, Ron Long, Bright Wright, Brian Henham, Brian Sharpe, Pete Zymanczyk and Robin Pearson.
Terry Hayday standing down
I would like to thank Terry Hayday for his support and work he has given the Insurance Museum over the past 4 years. He has been with us from the start, as an Insurance Museum board observer and volunteer, providing advice on our strategy, giving his thoughts during the Trustee meetings and even shaping our newsletters.
It has been a pleasure working with him and he has always brought a positive approach to the Museum. On behalf of everyone at the Insurance Museum, I want to give our most heartfelt thanks for the support and contribution Terry has made.
Adrian Flux drives Insurance Museum forward
We are delighted to welcome Adrian Flux Insurance Services as our newest corporate sponsor. Adrian Flux joins supporters from across the market in driving the Insurance Museum forward as we launch the second of our virtual galleries and redouble our efforts to find a first physical home for the museum. Gerry Bucke, Adrian Flux’s General Manager said: “We are really pleased to help support this initiative. The Insurance Museum has huge potential to open our world, past and present to a wider audience, while supporting sector education and careers, everyone in our profession should be supporting it”.
Happy New Year
Finally, I would like to thank all our supporters and donors within the Insurance world. As we are now in 2023, we are focusing on fundraising and developing a strategy for education and careers. I send you all our best wishes for a very Happy New Year and look forward to working with you in 2023.
Reg Brown, Insurance Museum Chairman
January 2023
