Trustee

Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust (WHAT) – the charity responsible for Wycombe Museum- is recruiting trustees with fresh perspectives and a passion for local heritage and culture to deliver our new vision and strategy.

Our vision: building pride in Wycombe by using our heritage to understand the stories of our people and communities

Our values: Collaborative, Inspiring, Knowledgeable, Relevant, Inclusive, Agile

Our strategy: to refocus our museum as The Chair Museum better to profile the history, people and stories of the furniture industry and raise public awareness

Our aims:

·     Engaging Our Audiences

o  Reflecting Wycombe’s diverse people stories

o  Putting our collection at the heart of our engagement

o  Becoming a valued cultural partner

·     Collections and Curatorship

o  A well-managed, accessible and relevant collection

o  A focus on Wycombe’s chair and furniture making heritage

·     Supporting Aims

o  Effective governance

o  Financial sustainability

o  Accessible, inclusive spaces

o  Thoughtful communications

Our current Board has created sound foundations for the future so this is an exciting time to join us. We’re a group of 9, including 3 due to stand down in 2025.

As a trustee you’ll apply your skills, knowledge and experience to ensure good governance and raise awareness. The board’s shared responsibilities are setting strategic direction, overseeing performance, compliance with museum standards and accreditation and ensuring that charity policies are in place.

In particular we are seeking applicants with the following skills, knowledge and experience:

· fundraising and income generation

· leadership and/or trusteeship in a charity or social enterprise · engagement with the local cultural, heritage or arts sectors including advocacy 

· marketing and communications, including social media and digital

· IT and website optimisation

· property and buildings management

We are aiming for better representation of the diverse communities living and working in High Wycombe.

ORGANISATION ROLE

8 hours a month including bi monthly early evening meetings either at the museum or online, taking part in working groups and support for Museum Director.

About Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust (WHAT) including Wycombe Museum

Wycombe Museum is an accredited, independent museum managed by WHAT and set up as a charity and company limited by guarantee in 2016. The charity currently manages the museum as its sole portfolio.

The museum dates from 1875 when a new library and collection in Church Street were funded by local lawyer, James Oliff Griffits. The museum was eventually passed to the then local authority. In 1962 it was moved by Wycombe District Council (WDC) to Castle Hill House, Priory Avenue.

The Grade 11 listed house is set within a Scheduled Ancient Monument - the remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle and Saxon burial. It’s a valued green space in High Wycombe’s urban setting.

In 2015 there was major refurbishment by WDC with galleries re-modelled, a café and shop created and lift installed. In 2016, WDC uncoupled the museum and transitioned it to a new charitable trust – WHAT- with initial grant funding.

Today the museum displays and/or stores its collections of 20,000 objects covering social history, furniture, art and photography including an internationally important chair and furniture collection. The permanent displays tell people’s stories of High Wycombe and its chair-making history.

The museum opens five days a week including weekends and Bank Holidays; admission is free. 12,000 people visit p.a. including 1,000 school children. A diverse and popular events programme offers activities for families in school holidays.

Key skills, characteristics and experience for this trustee role:

Essential skills

· Problem solving and analysis

· Listening to and ensuring that lesser heard voices have the opportunity to contribute

· Building strong relationships and collaborative working partnerships

· Working as part of a team and enthusing others

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and able to negotiate effectively, challenge positively, influence others and communicate at all levels with a wide range of audiences

· Effective participation in discussions representing visitors and others accessing our services in a clear and professional manner.

Essential characteristics

· Committed to the aims, objectives, and values of WHAT

· Understanding of good governance principles including legal duties

· Impartiality, fairness and able to respect confidences

· Experience of working in a collective decision-making group or awareness of board level working

· Experience of management or leadership in the corporate, statutory, or voluntary sectors.

Desirable knowledge and experience

WHAT Trustees should be able to contribute to the effectiveness of the Board in one of the following ways:

· Good local knowledge of some aspect of the local heritage and culture environment

· Understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing these sectors

· Strong connections with, or knowledge of, local communities, networks, and services