Who are we looking for?
We are looking to appoint six new members to the Historic Environment Advisory Group to work with the Executive Directors, and provide insightful, constructive, professional advice. Volunteers will be expected to reflect the Trust’s Values at all times.
A champion of the historic environment, you are driven by its potential to deliver public benefits and shape new futures for communities. You will help us think strategically to adapt our places so that they are resilient and sustainable into the future.
Key will be your understanding of the way that places have developed over time, through the interaction of people and the natural environment, and how heritage significance can drive sympathetic change.
You will have expertise in one or more of the following areas:
Planning and Major Infrastructure
An expert across a range of major infrastructure sectors, and able to see through complexity to deliver pragmatic outcomes. You bring experience of Major Infrastructure Schemes, including end-to-end consenting processes via the 2008 Act or Hybrid Bills, and see the benefits that taking a strategic approach can bring.
You understand the role of partnership working, and the levers we can pull, to deliver mitigation and enhancement, drive better outcomes for people and nature, and deliver our charitable objectives.
You recognise the importance of the planning regimes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including how the National Trust can influence legislative change, planning policies, guidance, and processes.
Historic Buildings
A champion for the design of new buildings in sensitive historic contexts, you bring a well-developed understanding of building and social history, and the relationships between buildings and their garden, landscape, or urban contexts.
You hold a depth of technical knowledge on the repair, conservation, refurbishment, retrofit and adaptive reuse of a broad range of buildings and structures, including interrelated philosophical concerns.
You recognise the importance of statutory protection, carbon net zero targets, visitor experience and interpretation, and the issues of environmental management in caring for buildings and their contents.
Gardens and Parkland
An expert in landscape design within the historic environment, you are driven by the strategic role that new and historic gardens and landscapes can play in delivering more public benefit to more people, whilst addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
You are a champion of innovative design, bringing a well-developed understanding of the designed relationship between gardens, parkland and built structures, their conservation management, and how new visitor experiences and infrastructure can be integrated within them.
Public Archaeology
An expert in the application of archaeology to placemaking, you understand the potential for archaeology to support, grow and build heritage communities, connecting people with place and with each other.
You are driven by the opportunities for archaeology, both above and below ground, to deliver public benefit and positive outcomes for individuals.
With expertise in developing innovative models that engage and empower others through archaeology, you can see new opportunities for co-creative practices that extend the reach of archaeology to new and diverse audiences.
You recognise the potential to go beyond traditional archaeological fieldwork approaches to consider digital engagement and the role of archaeology in social and artistic practices that can bring new meaning to places.
Heritage at Landscape Scale
An expert in managing and making the most of cultural heritage in living, working landscapes, you are driven by opportunities for the historic environment to deliver benefits for people and nature.
You understand how interdisciplinary working can balance significance with the management of change at a landscape-scale, and offer solutions to the issues of climate adaptation, land use, access, and recreation.
Adept at navigating and influencing national best practice, policy and funding frameworks for landscape and heritage management, you understand land management and farming practices, and the role of natural processes.
Heritage Led Regeneration
An expert in the heritage-led regeneration of places, you bring a comprehensive understanding of development economics, processes, and viability.
You bring experience of community engagement, collaborative design, fundraising, grants and delivery through public and private sector partnership.
Driven by the opportunities to unlock more public benefit for communities through regeneration of the historic environment, you can help us define how our places can be used and useful into the future.
Please see the groups Terms of Reference for further details on the areas of activity for the group.
We are keen to have Advisory Groups who are representative of communities that we serve. We would be keen to receive applications from people who:
- Are passionate about the historic and natural environment and the National Trust’s core purpose of looking after nature, history, beauty, for everyone, forever.
- Are well networked and can help to develop new and existing partnerships and collaborations, helping to open doors and influence others.
- Are skilled in working in partnership with others.
- Will push and challenge the Executive Directors and their teams, encouraging them to find bold, creative and pragmatic solutions, supporting them to make the right decisions.
- Understand current economic, environmental and/or social trends and the challenges and opportunities they present for our organisation.
- Can share and demonstrate our values.
Member roles require a commitment of up to six days a year; roles are for an initial term of three years with the potential for a further term of three years. Advisory Groups each meet once a year to discuss business nominated by the Chair and National Trust Executive Directors, and there is an annual conference of all the Advisory Groups. The Chair and members may be invited to site visits and to provide advice on specific projects or support strategic pieces of work. The positions are voluntary, but expenses are paid.
What’s in it for you?
- You will gain or develop your experience of playing an advisory role in a large, complex organisation with commercial, charitable and public benefit roles.
- You will be contributing to the work of Europe’s largest conservation charity and helping to shape our response to the challenges of the 21st century.
- You will be playing a part in caring for and making available to people some of the nation’s finest historic houses, cultural heritage collections, archaeological remains, scheduled monuments, coastline, woods, farmland, nature reserves, gardens and landscapes.
- You will be thinking about how to make these special places more accessible to everyone, broadening our appeal and delivering more public benefit.
- You will enjoy debating issues and problem solving with a diverse group of committed enthusiasts: your fellow Group members, National Trust staff and volunteers.
To help Advisory Group members perform their role, the National Trust offers:
- Induction for new members and access to our volunteering intranet.
- Dates for meetings identified in advance, to enable you to plan into your agenda and/or working life.
- Reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred on Trust business.