Trustee vacancy – The Stained Glass Museum

The Stained Glass Museum (charity no. 1169842) is currently recruiting Trustees to join its governing Board.

The Board of Trustees is currently finalising a new forward plan for the museum and seeks to appoint new Board members to help the museum grow and realise its vision. We are looking especially (but not exclusively) for individuals with professional experience in any of the following areas:

• Fundraising & Development

• Digital innovation

• Heritage management

• Museum development

This is a voluntary role. Experience of working in a similar committee or charity is not essential but may be useful. Knowledge of stained glass and/or museums is not required for this role, although an interest in art and heritage is desirable.

About the Museum

The Stained Glass Museum (established 1972, opened 1979) is the only museum dedicated to the art of stained glass in the UK. The museum exists to collect, safeguard and share examples of our stained glass heritage with diverse audiences. This is especially important given that stained glass recently entered the Heritage Crafts red list of endangered crafts in the UK.

The Stained Glass Museum is a unique independent museum and registered charity, fully accredited with the Arts Council. The charity is governed by a Board of Trustees and managed by a full-time Curator and team of part-time staff, supported by volunteers. The overall staff team equates to 4 FTE. The museum’s annual turnover is around £200,000 per annum. For more information see the Museum’s annual reports.

Open to the public five days a week throughout the year, the museum’s main gallery in the triforium of Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, houses an exhibition of more than 125 stained glass panels from our growing collection and a handful of loans from partners including the V&A and the Royal Collection. This chronological display gives a unique insight into the fascinating history of stained glass, an art-form that has been practised in Britain for at least thirteen hundred years.

The museum currently attracts more than 20,000 visitors annually and engages with 1,500+ school-aged children and 200+ adults through our learning and workshops programme each year. The museum has a combined social media following of 14,200.

​Our Vision:

The national centre for enjoying and understanding stained glass through storytelling, creativity and research.

Our Mission:

To share with everyone the cultural and artistic importance of stained glass.

Recent developments

The Stained Glass Museum has developed significantly over the last 20 years, and has witnessed a period of enormous change in the last five years. Following a major two-year project entitled ‘Windows onto the Future’ (spring 2018-spring 2020) funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund grant through the Resilient Heritage scheme, the Board is committed to planning the long-term relocation of the museum to improve access to the collections and fulfil its vision. The current Board of Trustees has also ensured that the museum has emerged from the global covid pandemic with its reserves and staff team fully intact. Visitor numbers are currently around 80% of pre-pandemic levels and the museum is in a healthy financial position.

About the Board

Trustees meet approximately five times a year The Board currently has seven members.

Number of meetings per annum/time commitment: 5 meetings per annum(mostly online, but also 1-2 in person meetings in Ely or London), on a weekday (currently Mondays and Thursday). Total time commitment per annum including meetings, actions and reading papers for meetings approx. 30-40 hours

Daytime or evening meetings: daytime meetings

Closing date for applications:       31 July 2023

Contact details or web link for applicants to find out more:          https://stainedglassmuseum.com/jobs

To apply: Please send expressions of interest together with a C.V. addressed to:

Dr Jeffrey West, Chairman, to [email protected]

or by post to Dr Jeffrey West, Chairman of the Board, The Stained Glass Museum, South Triforium, Ely Cathedral, Ely, CB7 4DL

Organisation website: www.stainedglassmuseum.com