South West Heritage Trust is looking for a new Chair of Trustees to help shape the next chapter of an ambitious regional heritage charity.



Established in 2014, the Trust preserves and promotes the heritage of Somerset and Devon, caring for nationally and regionally important museums, archives, historic environments and collections. With around 100 staff, more than 100 volunteers and an annual budget of approximately £5m, the Trust works with communities and partners across the region to protect heritage, widen access and create opportunities for learning and engagement.



This is an important moment for the Trust. Its five-year strategy for 2025-30 is driving its development as a leading regional charity and heritage business, increasing its impact and supporting growth. An ambitious programme of activity lies ahead, including major museum developments, nationally important collection and archive acquisitions and heritage site projects. At the same time, the Trust is strengthening its financial resilience and navigating an evolving public-sector landscape, including the potential implications of Local Government Reorganisation.



The incoming Chair will play a central role in this next phase. Working with a committed Board, you will continue its development and help create greater space for strategic discussion, constructive challenge and collective ownership of the opportunities and challenges ahead. You will work closely with Chief Executive Sam Astill, building a relationship based on trust, openness and mutual respect, and acting as a trusted adviser and critical friend while maintaining clear governance and executive boundaries.



You will also be an ambassador for the Trust, building and maintaining relationships across a complex stakeholder landscape that includes local authorities, public-sector partners, funders and other strategic stakeholders. You will help the organisation balance entrepreneurial growth and financial resilience with the public purpose and responsibilities at the heart of its work.



We are looking for someone with Board-level or comparable leadership experience who can bring people together around a shared purpose. You will bring strategic thinking, sound judgement and an understanding of effective governance, alongside the diplomacy and interpersonal skills to build trust, listen to different perspectives and provide constructive challenge when needed. Experience of leading through complexity or change and working within publicly funded or similarly complex partnership environments will be particularly relevant.



You do not need to have spent your career in heritage. We welcome relevant leadership and governance experience from a range of settings, which could include culture, the arts, libraries, charities, public services or other publicly funded organisations. What matters is an appreciation of the Trust's mission, an understanding of complex stakeholder environments and a genuine commitment to the heritage, culture and communities of Somerset and Devon.



This is an opportunity to help shape the future of an organisation responsible for an extraordinary breadth of heritage across the South West, and to support its contribution to communities, learning, place and regional prosperity.




For further information , please read the full candidate pack, which provides more detail about South West Heritage Trust, the role and the appointment process. If, having read the pack, you have any questions or would like an informal conversation about the opportunity, please contact Jennie Wood at
Jennie.wood@gatenbysanderson.com .



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Recruitment Timetable



Closing date

Midnight on Monday 16th November 2026



Preliminary Interviews

w/c 30th November 2026



Final Panel Interviews

Early January 2026




How to Apply

• Please submit your CV along with a Supporting Statement addressing the person specification criteria, evidencing how you meet the criteria.


• Detail any employment or education gaps.


• Be ready to provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will be contacted for those proceeding to final stages. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.


• Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.


• Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you do not receive, please email contactus@gatenbysanderson.com