Volunteer Chair to drive forward our new strategy for a sustainable local museum for all

What will you be doing?

Our challenges These are difficult times for local museums. Financial sustainability has been our focus for four years. Our new Chair's role is to support and lead WHAT towards greater resilience and sustainability, broadening its reach and impact. Our goals: In 2023 WHAT developed a new strategy to align with Bucks Cultural Strategy and meet local need. Key goals are:

Engaging our Audiences  reflecting Wycombe’s diverse stories with our collections at the heart of engagement as a valued cultural partner for local people. 

Collections and Curatorship ensuring a relevant, well-managed and accessible collection and using our nationally significant chair-collection to explore Wycombe’s furniture-making heritage.

To achieve these goals supporting aims are:

effective governance financial sustainability accessible, inclusive spaces thoughtful communications

Chair of Trustees - who we need Someone experienced in strategic thinking, leading, inspiring and managing people, a skilled negotiator to advocate with funders, particularly Buckinghamshire Council, as we build a sustainable future. Our Chair is a Board Trustee with special responsibilities for:

leading the Board on strategic direction upholding good governance chairing meetings running the Annual General Meeting working with the Museum Director supporting good relations between trustees, staff, volunteers, and externally advocacy, engagement and connections  financial responsibility

What are we looking for?

Experience

high-level leadership and governance, including strategic planning, financial, risk and performance management legal responsibilities/ liabilities as Board Director of a non-profit organisation. passion for culture and heritage  enthusiasm, integrity, strategic vision and independent judgement working with volunteers

Skills

leading organisations through change       holding Board, staff, contractors to account communication /interpersonal, liaising effectively with range of stakeholders team spirit of consensus and collaboration negotiating and influencing creative thinking and problem solving

Qualities

commitment to inclusion, equality and diversity diplomatic and sensitive approach willing to speak mind and listen to others' views  working effectively with team of  individuals gifting time as Trustees independent judgement 

Other requirements

lives or works in or within reach of High Wycombe  able to devote three days a month to Chair’s role and 8 hours a month as general Trustee able to serve for a full term of four years working with Microsoft Office suite including SharePoint  chairing/ attending online meetings via Zoom etc

What difference will you make?

Your dynamic leadership and commitment as Chair will oversee WHAT's delivery, value and impact. Contributions to impact by the Chair and Trustees:  we are a 'free-entrance-to-all' museum and community asset  we display social history and history of furniture-making through exhibitions, talks, workshops, family days and volunteering  we foster joy, curiosity, learning, health and well-being and local identity we welcome 12,000 visitors p.a. including 4,000 at events and 1,000 school children we offer Value for Money museum services at 10% of 2009 expenditure despite a collection of 23,000 objects we champion equality of access  our Chair Collection is of National Importance  our stories of local chair-making lead to community engagement, regeneration and local pride.  our award-winning volunteer programme boosts health and wellbeing partnership projects e.g.Chalk, Cherries and Chairs,  lead to more impact and collaboration  a valued Community Asset, the Museum is in an Opportunity Bucks ward with otherwise few green spaces/places for meeting