It’s National Trustees Week this week, which give organisations like ours the chance to celebrate the important role they play in supporting our work. We’re very lucky to have a highly skilled and dedicated board of Trustees who, like many across the country, give their time, commitment, skills and experience to help charities work better.
Our trustees volunteer their time to offer governance, expertise, insight, guidance, strategy and more to our small team of staff. They come from a wide range of backgrounds, from business, finance, charities, tourism, local government, education and heritage, and they play a key role in the work we do.
As it is ‘Thank a Trustee’ day today we’d like to highlight two particular trustees who have gone above and beyond to support The Trust.
So, from the staff, trustees and supporters of the Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust – thank you to our Chair of Trustees, Jennifer Spencer and fellow trustee Tina Heathcote.
Particularly over the last year, they have helped the Trust navigate some very difficult times. Stephen Owen, Interim CEO at The Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust has this to add:
“With years of setbacks and delays, the Trust were finally able to open the new Buxton Crescent Visitor Experience in the middle of the Covid pandemic. Jennifer and Tina in particular have been a huge support to the team, supporting us with everything from strategy and administration, to retail and marketing. They have given their time very generously, and brought strength and resolve to an organisation which, at times, lacked it. Thank you!”
For more information about Trustees Week and how to become a trustee yourself, please visit https://trusteesweek.org/
Jennifer Spencer is a freelance management consultant with a particular interest and expertise in arts driven cultural tourism as well as place making.
Her background is wide and varied having, over the course of her career, worked in the pharmaceutical, education and tourism sectors.
Based in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire she has worked at a senior level across both counties for the last decade.
Jennifer is also Deputy Chair of the National Justice Museum in Nottingham, and a stakeholder at community interest group S.H.E.D, (Social Higher Education Depot) an arts project based at University of Derby.
Tina Heathcote was a business development consultant specialising in management development and stimulating business growth in the UK and overseas. A career in the Civil Service led to the appointment as Chief Executive of the national farm tourism marketing organisation, Farm Stay UK, and from there on to a range of innovative and interesting projects and appointments.
Projects have included ‘Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Masurian Women’, defining a marketing strategy for Stanstead airport, improving hostel quality for YHA, work for national tourist boards and developing farm diversification workshops for defra.
Currently a Trustee of Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust and Kinder Choirs, a University of Derby Court Member and Buxton Town Team project lead on a sustainable travel plan for Buxton.
