Trustee vacancy – Gatwick Aviation Museum

Gatwick Aviation Museum Trustee. 4 appointments are offered for trustees particularly with a background in finance, law, commerce, and aviation.

Gatwick Aviation Museum is managed by a charitable trust. The Museum was established in 1990 as a collection of Cold War vintage aircraft that had been acquired by the late Peter Vallance. Initially the aircraft were located outside in the current parkland setting, however, in recent years a modern building has been constructed that now houses most of the aircraft.

The museum is overseen by a Board of Trustees and the day-to-day running is managed by the manager who co-ordinates a team of volunteers who have diverse qualifications and functions ranging from aircraft engineers, aircrew, and other technical specialists, through to young persons who are developing a knowledge of national aviation history, as well as team and customer service skills.

The museum is not only a repository of vintage aircraft; it also has the expertise, tooling, and spares to maintain many of the aircraft in running order. Our visitor demographic is that we see large numbers of parents with small children, the likely appeal being that our large indoor space is rainy day proof and many of our exhibits are child friendly. We would like to become forward looking, hosting exhibitions not just of the past but also of the future of aviation. We have recently completed the construction of a further new building alongside our main exhibition hall and in part of this new building we would like to see a new café and a conferencing and training facility. The museum is currently open 3 days per week; on the days that we are closed we plan to start offering the main exhibition hall as conferencing space. Our initial trials of this have had very positive feedback, with attendees describing the space as “extraordinary”. In the longer term our ambition is to be open all week.

Our board currently has 4 members, and we are seeking to expand to 8 members. We wish to invite applicants who understand the governance role of a trustee, particularly those that have previously held Board level roles.

To apply send a covering letter of no more than 750 words and a CV of no more than 2 pages to Sam Aldridge via email sam.aldridge@gamc.org.uk

For applicants applying specifically for the role of Charity Chairperson please ensure that this is included in the subject line of the email.

Closing date 8 Feb 2022

Location: Gatwick Aviation Museum, Charlwood, Surrey, RH6 0BT
Commitment: 6 Board meetings per year
Salary: Unremunerated, reasonable expenses are paid