Appointment brief. Trustees of the Cromwell Museum Trust

Transcription

1 Appointment brief Trustees of the Cromwell Museum Trust

2 Introduction from the Chairman The Cromwell Museum interprets the life and legacy of Oliver Cromwell ( ) and his immediate family through portraits, documents and objects. The Museum interprets Cromwell's significance and legacy. The Museum has international popular appeal, attracting visitors from across the globe, while at the same time is successfully and strongly embedded in the life of Huntingdon s local community. Since 2016, the Museum is run as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Reg ). We are now looking to make significant strides forward and recruit up to four new Trustees. These Trustees will have the vision and ambition necessary to work with us on the establishment of the trust and to drive the Museum forward to greater success. Mr Peter Johnson Chair of the Board of Trustees Cromwell Museum Trust

3 Oliver Cromwell: King in all but name Oliver Cromwell is one of the most significant and controversial individuals in history. He was head of state of the first and only British republic, and remains to this day the only commoner ever to have been offered the Crown. He was born in Huntingdon in 1599, lived in the town for over half of his life, and became its MP in He first came to national prominence during the Civil Wars when, despite having no military training or experience, he demonstrated his abilities as a cavalry commander. This conflict was the making of Cromwell s name and reputation, and when his tactical skills brought the fighting finally to end in 1651 he returned to London to great acclaim. Cromwell was seen as the man who had ended the wars and brought peace to the nation. In April 1653 he was appointed Lord Protector and during the next five years, until his death by natural causes in 1658, he tried to achieve his objective of creating a Godly Nation. Many of Cromwell s actions, such as his active support for the execution of King Charles I, his role in Ireland and his granting of readmission of Jews to England, have given him international significance. Yet Cromwell s name will always be firmly associated with his home town of Huntingdon. Roads are named after him, bars and businesses take his name, and the town sign refers to it being the place where he was born.

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5 About the Museum The Museum holds the best collection of Cromwelliana in the UK. The collection comprises nearly 700 items, of which Cambridgeshire County Council owns the majority. The display includes portraits, clothing, miniatures, arms and armour, historical documents written by or about Cromwell, and one of his death masks. The Museum attracts about 10,000 visitors each year, and carries out a rich range of educational and outreach events, often in partnership with other bodies such as reenactment groups, the Friends of the Cromwell Museum, the Cromwell Association, and the archives and local studies team based in Huntingdon Library. The Museum supports the annual Cromwell Collection public lecture which is given each November in Huntingdon. The Museum has Accredited status from Arts Council England (ACE). It is open throughout the year daily Tuesday- Saturday, with reduced opening hours from November to March. Admission is free. Currently the Museum is staffed by a Curator and relies on the 30-strong volunteer body for additional support in a variety of duties, ranging from Education, Events, Retail and Front of House.

6 The Museum building The Museum building, a 12th century structure heavily restored in 1877, is a Grade 2* listed building and is approximately 70 m2. It is the building in which Oliver Cromwell was himself educated as a schoolboy, and where he first received exposure to Puritan ideas through the teaching of Dr Thomas Beard. The building is under local authority ownership, ensuring that the costs of maintaining the fabric do not fall on the Trust. This leaves the Trust free to concentrate on day-to-day operations, exhibitions and audience engagement.

7 The Trustees of the Cromwell Museum Trust We are looking for up to four individuals who can offer expertise and skills in IT/ public relations background, capable of helping the Trust develop a web and social media presence Financial/business background capable of helping the Trust maximise revenues from the Museum It is hoped that a few of the new Trustees will come from the Huntingdon area, complementing the other largely Cambridge-based Trustees. All trustees will be expected to: give firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets; work together on attracting funding towards the new Trust; ensure the continual assessment and improvement of the Museum's performance against targets established by the Trust; help protect and manage the property and collections of the Trust and to ensure the proper investment of its funds; represent the Trust when necessary at functions and meetings; ensure that the organisation complies with its governing document, charity law, company law and any other relevant legislation or regulations; ensure that the organisation pursues its objects and acts within the powers defined in its governing document; and abide by the Museums Association Code of Ethics for Museums. The Trustees will be responsible for ensuring that the staff and volunteers of the Cromwell Museum trust actively pursue the Cromwell Museum's aims and objectives.

8 To apply Please send your CV together with a supporting statement of not more than two sides of A4 about how your experience, knowledge and skills would benefit the Trust, to: Gordon Chancellor Museums Partnership Officer Cambridgeshire County Council Box Number OCT 1226 Shire Hall Cambridge CB3 0AP gordon.chancellor@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Tel: / For an informal discussion about these roles, please contact Gordon Chancellor via or telephone. Cromwell Museum Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation Registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales no Registered Office: Huntingdon Library, Princes Street, Huntingdon, Cambs. PE29 3PA