Job Description

Historic Croydon Airport Trust

Chairperson and Trustees required

Are you interested in heritage conservation, the value of independent museums and the history of air travel? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Historic Croydon Airport Trust is the new Charitable Incorporated Organisation established to operate the hugely popular Croydon Airport Visitor Centre (CAVC), manage its 100,000 document archive and non-voting membership. The charity has recently successfully completed a £10,000 Heritage Lottery Fund project.

Due to increasing demand in all aspects of the charity’s operations, the Historic Croydon Airport Trust is looking to establish a team of “hands on” Trustees to lead the organisation through its next stage of development. This is an exciting time for the newly established CIO with growing recognition in the unique contribution that this landmark 20th century airport played in the development of international air travel.

The CAVC is located in the world’s oldest Air Traffic Control Tower situated in the Grade II listed former terminal building (now an independent business centre). It charts the beginnings of international air travel, record breaking pilots like Amy Johnson and Charles Lindbergh, innovations such as “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” and Britain’s first national airline, Imperial Airways.  The archives are located in temporary accommodation on a separate site.

Trustee experience

We are looking to recruit a Chair and new Trustees to strengthen our Board, who share our vision and manage the charity through an exciting period of change. Management and business development experience are desirable, as are administration skills. In addition we are looking for enthusiastic Trustees who have the following skills, experience and attributes:-

• Commitment and time to meet challenges and be effective in the role
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to work effectively in a team
• Prepared to be “hands on” with day-to- day operations
• Ensure the charity is well managed, accountable and meets Charity Commission requirements
• Provide the Trust with experience and expertise in your field
• Act as a representative and champion for the charity
• Interested in conserving historic buildings and the history of air travel

As part of our drive to strengthen and diversify our Board we have identified some areas that would be beneficial to the charity: -

• Museum management, accreditation process and creative exhibition development
• Volunteer recruitment and management
• Fundraising, securing corporate and philanthropic sponsorship and/ or bid-writing
• Media relations and/or campaigning and communications
• Heritage conservation and releasing private heritage buildings for community use
• Legal experience appropriate to the charity’s operations with emphasis on copyright and orphan works and/or commercial property
• Academic/architectural research of early 20th century buildings

Chair experience

The Chair will play a key role in shaping the development of the charity, steering its future course and working towards achieving national recognition that the landmark heritage building warrants. The Chair will need excellent interpersonal skills and be able to build effective teams, enabling the charity to achieve its goals. As well as the Trustee attributes listed above, ideally the Chair will have experience in some of the following areas:-

• Business and strategic planning and delivery
• Management and administration preferably at Senior level
• Growing staff capacity and recruiting  key personnel
• Building support from influential organisations at local, regional and national level
• Delivering and managing change
• Encouraging new and creative approaches to achieve key aims

Commitment

All the roles are voluntary. The Trustee positions are for an initial two year period. Board meetings are held approximately every six weeks and run for about 2.5 hours. Hours are flexible over the month and would require a time commitment of around 16 hours.Flexibility and commitments are essential, as are basic word processing and e-communication skills. The Chairperson would need to commit to around one day per week in the initial stages with hours being flexible.

How to apply:

For further information please contact us at the e-mail address provided by clicking on the 'Application Details' button.

Please send a CV and covering letter by 24th June 2016. Interviews will be held on Thursday 30th June with the intention that new Trustees be inaugurated by mid-July.

The Croydon Airport Visitor Centre is open on Sunday 5th and 19th June from 11.00.