Do you have an interest in the medieval churches of Norwich and keen to see them preserved and maintained? If the answer is yes, and you have some of the skills our board is currently missing, then you could join our small, dedicated, and ambitious team.

Norwich Historic Churches Trust (NHCT) is a Charitable Trust created in 1973 to care for and find new uses for redundant, historically important churches in Norwich. Our main role Trust is to conserve and carry out repairs, which we do using rental income and grants. We currently care for 18 churches, all within the city centre which are now used for a variety of activities including theatres, antiques centres, arts venues, and places of work.

The Board of Trustees is currently comprised of 11 trustees from varied backgrounds. We are seeking to strengthen the makeup of our board and recruit up to 4 new trustees to fill the skills gaps we have identified. We welcome applications from anyone who can demonstrate that they can bring what we are looking for in the following areas: Fundraising, Law (particularly property/tenancy law), Health and Safety (particularly in the building and construction sector), HR, and Historic Building Preservation.

This is an exciting time to join the Trust as we are on the verge of completing a major project to bring St Margaret de Westwick Church on St Benedict’s Street to a good state of repair, off the Heritage at Risk Register and ready for a new tenant. Our small team of 3 staff, regular contractors and 11 trustees are making strategic plans for the future of the Trust and you could join us and make a positive difference to the medieval landscape and cultural and economic future of our city.

Role Overview

  • Voluntary role: requires 1-2 hours per week commitment.
  • Attendance at monthly Trustee meetings throughout the year.
  • Opportunity to experience and get involved in the wider work of the Trust.
  • You do NOT need to have prior experience of being a Trustee. We welcome applications from people of any age and work or educational background.

    • Person Specification

  • You will care about and have an interest in the work of the Trust and its role in caring for historic buildings and wider society.
  • You will have the ability to understand financial information and commercial processes and to contribute to budget planning.
  • You will be a ‘critical friend’ with vision and good independent judgement who is prepared to question what we do and contribute new ideas with tact and clarity.
  • You will be self-motivated with a positive approach and an eagerness to learn and work with a small team.
  • You will be able to work collaboratively with the Trust’s stakeholders.
  • Ideally you will have an understanding of funding, governance and working as part of a Board of Trustees. If you have no experience of this, we can offer you training and you will gain ‘on the job’ experience.

    • Application process

    Please apply with your CV (2 sides A4 maximum) and a statement (2 sides A4 maximum) which demonstrates, with examples taken from any area of professional or social activity, how you meet the items on the specification as well as how your skills and experience meet the gaps we have identified. Also include contact details of two referees.

    The closing date for applications is: Sunday, 4th June 2023

    Interviews will be held on: week commencing 12th June 2023

    This role is advertised as part of TPP’s Free Giving Back Services. This volunteer advertisement copy has been supplied to TPP and applicants apply direct to the organisation. Please contact the organisation directly if you have any questions about this volunteer role.