We’re looking for people from a range of backgrounds, with a passion for the islands, who have the energy, skills and experience necessary to become a trustee of the new Cultural Centre and Museum on St Mary’s.
At the meeting of Full Council in September, Councillors resolved to form a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) to run the new Cultural Centre and Museum. Under this arrangement, the Council will retain ownership of the building and the new organisation will become a tenant on a 25-year lease, with responsibility for the management and operations of the whole facility, including the museum, café and community hall. Work is underway to establish suitable arrangements between the Isles of Scilly Museum Association and the CIO for the future ownership and management of the museum’s collection.
The intention is for the CIO to operate under a ‘foundation constitution’ model, meaning it will be run by a small group of individuals who are both members and charity trustees. The Council does not plan to have any formal representation on the CIO board. The proposed constitution for the new CIO would allow for the Isles of Scilly Museum Association to nominate one of their own trustees to sit on the board as a full voting member, should it choose to do so.
A minimum of 3 trustees is required in order to create the CIO, however, it is proposed that there may be up to 12 trustees on the final board, with a second phase of recruitment in 2024.
The trustee role is not remunerated, but reasonable expenses will be paid. The terms for the new CIO are currently being drawn up and the governing documentation will be produced in 2024.
Role of a trustee
The role of the trustee is to ensure that the CIO is managed and run responsibly, in line with the agreed objectives and for the benefit of residents and visitors to Scilly. There will also be a team of paid officers who will manage the day-to-day operations and who will report to the trustees.
The trustees will play a crucial part in the development and success of the new facility. Working in line with the Charity Code of Governance, trustees will be required to demonstrate strong leadership by providing strategic oversight, support and challenge.
General duties will include:
- Advocating for the project and answering questions from the public
- Making decisions in relation to investment, finance and governance
- Making decisions about the strategic direction of the facility
- Participating in board discussions by sharing ideas and considering the views of others
As the new facility is being constructed, the initial duties of the trustees will also include:
- Building a staff base
- Further developing and adopting the draft business model
You can find full details about the responsibilities of trustees in the Charity Commission document ‘The Essential Trustee.’
The trustees of the new organisation will receive plenty of support as the new facility takes shape and during the early years. Council officers and the team of consultants who have worked on the plans in the development phase will continue to provide support and funding is available for trustees to access training workshops on board development and to visit similar organisations.
How to apply
A prospectus for the Cultural Centre and Museum trustee role and full details on how to apply can be found on the Isles of Scilly Museum Association’s project website. Applications are invited until midnight on Monday 15 January 2024.
We are particularly interested in receiving applications from anyone with skills and experience in the following areas:
- Commercial and business development, particularly operational start-ups
- Cultural venue leadership
- Cultural programming leadership
- Financial and business planning
- Legal
- HR and volunteer strategy
- Charity governance
We want a wide range of perspectives on our board and encourage applications from anyone over the age of 18. We’re hoping to appoint a mixture of candidates from both the Isles of Scilly and the mainland, with a focus on island-based recruitment.
If you have any questions or would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact the Council’s cultural and heritage consultant, Sara Hilton at sara@sarahilton.co.uk. An on-site visit and discussion with a member of the project team can be arranged.
