Volunteer Trustees with either Heritage Buildings/Assets and/or Landscape/Nature expertise sought for Sheffield Heritage Charity

What will you be doing?

The Sheffield General Cemetery is a fascinating and historic 13-acre green space in the heart of Sheffield, which offers something for everyone. Opened in 1836 and closed in 1976 it is a public park owned by Sheffield City Council and is home to 87,000 residents who helped build the City of Sheffield. It is one of only 2 grade 2* listed landscapes in Sheffield and contains 10 listed buildings and monuments. It is also a Local Nature Reserve and a Conservation Area.  In 1989 local residents formed a group to save the Cemetery from dereliction, and since 2003 the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust has taken that vision forwards. The Trust is volunteer led with almost 100 volunteers and 3 part time staff.  SGCT has restored the grade 2* listed Gatehouse and Samuel Worth Chapel, which are now in daily use. The Chapel is the hub for our for activities and fundraising events as well as being available for hire and community events, whilst the Gatehouse is home to a popular holiday let and our office and stores. SGCT maintains its 2 buildings, and its landscape teams maintain and improve the site for our c200,000 visitors each year. We also organise a wide range of fundraising events, research and publish publications and exhibitions, deliver guided tours, and we have to raise all the funds we need to do all this.  The Cemetery site has just benefitted from a National Lottery Funded project that has helped to maintain the structure of the Cemetery for the next 100 years as well as improving interpretation of the site. SGCT’s core aims are to develop the Cemetery as a heritage, environmental and education amenity for Sheffield. Therefore, we wish to increase our Trustee team to achieve this.  

What are we looking for?

Trustees ideally should have general organisational/business experience but we are looking for people with specific skills and knowledge in Heritage (property management) or Landscape/Nature. However this does not preclude people with the relevant organisational experience from applying

What difference will you make?

As part of the Trustee team you will support and shape our strategic direction as well as help in specific fields of expertise and contribute to the smooth and safe operation of the Trust. Using past and present skills and experience, you will help ensure that the Charity achieves its core purposes as well as looking forward to safeguard its future. Like the many people who have been involved over the past 35 years you will have the satisfaction of being a custodian of an ever-changing historic site and continuing the story of a well-loved and unique green space near the heart of Sheffield.  We are looking for a person ideally should have experience of managing in a heritage or similar organisation, perhaps managing either a landscape or heritage assets, or involvement in heritage or environmental projects. Knowledge relating to conservation within an urban green space or an understanding of biodiversity in a landscape would be beneficial but not essential. Past experience of being a Trustee is not essential as training will be available, but experience of a management role within an organisation will be useful.