Volunteer Chair of Trustees

What will you be doing?

We are a positive and determined little charity, founded in 1979, and situated in an area of spectacular natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. We welcome over 150,000 local people and visitors to our Centre in Lyndhurst each year. With our archive of over 50,000 books, maps, photographs, art, documents, and objects, we have so many different stories to tell of life and landscape. We have a café, a shop, a gallery, and a museum with opportunity for change. We have a long-term strategy to form. Over our first 45 years we have established deep foundations from which to stride out into our next 45. We will become fresh, absorbing, and even better at championing the New Forest and its dual role as a vital resource for climate understanding, as well as a place for relaxation and enjoyment.        We need a fantastic new Chair to take over from our brilliant and passionate outgoing Chair, who is retiring. We need someone to lead us and inspire us to find our future. Someone with the qualities to help drive us forward, help us reach even more audiences, and invigorate our great team.  For further information, contact details, and how to express an interest, please click the ‘Be our new Chair of Trustees’ button at the top of our website homepage www.newforestheritage.org.uk      

What are we looking for?

This is a role which comes with responsibility. Responsibility to oversee an informing, educating and entertaining offering to an extremely broad range of visitors who pass through our doors. At the same time ensuring we have a business model that works, and which enables us to continue collecting, conserving, cataloguing, and co-curating. Museums and heritage sector experience is not essential for this role, but an understanding of charities, and a love of culture, landscape, community and social purpose is vital. Professionally, the Chair is likely to have held successful governance roles, ideally having a questioning and entrepreneurial flair, astuteness, and be someone with natural warmth, charisma and an ability to inspire.

What difference will you make?

As the new Chair, you would be joining at a very positive time for the charity, as we plan a future that will build on the uniqueness of our archive and our enviable location at the centre of one of the nation’s most visited and most loved National Parks. If you care about place, people and the environment and you are someone with verve and inspirational qualities, please do apply for this role – you will not be disappointed by the wonderful team of staff and volunteers who will thrive off your wisdom and enthusiasm to deliver a vibrant future.