Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive at Sussex Wildlife Trust.
We are proud to be the leading conservation organisation in Sussex, with a dedicated membership, talented staff, and an extraordinary community of volunteers supporting our mission. Since our foundation in 1961, we have worked tirelessly across Sussex and along its magnificent coastline to safeguard wildlife and restore biodiversity to our natural environment.
Last year, we launched “Our Wild Sussex”—an ambitious strategy signalling a bold new chapter in our efforts to address the immense challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and the need to reconnect people with nature. By working alongside our partners and communities, we have assembled the resources, passion, and determination needed to bring this vision to life.
Our current Chief Executive, Chris Corrigan, a remarkable conservationist, stepped out of retirement to guide us as an interim leader. Over the past four years, Chris has transformed the organisation, preparing us for the significant step change required by Our Wild Sussex. As he now plans to return to his well-deserved retirement, we look to the future, seeking a new Chief Executive to advance and accelerate this vital journey.
The person we appoint will bring a deep passion for the natural world and a clear ambition to make a meaningful impact throughout the county. We are looking for an experienced senior manager with the confidence and experience to lead the organisation towards Our Wild Sussex goals, an empathetic leader with the skills to engage staff and supporters throughout a period of change, a strategic thinker who can keep the organisation focused on our future direction whilst maintain control over our current operations.
No single organisation can address the scale of the biodiversity crisis alone; that is why building partnerships and inspiring communities to take action will be at the heart of your work. You will be supported by a committed and encouraging Board of Trustees, each one eager to drive the Trust’s ambitions forward.
We are immensely proud of our team and the positive workplace culture we have built. Yet we recognise, as does the conservation movement nationally, that we must do more to ensure diversity and to serve all communities across Sussex. This is a top priority for us and multiple initiatives are already underway.
In summary, the Sussex Wildlife Trust stands on a foundation of an ambitious strategy, enthusiastic trustees, experienced leadership, dedicated staff, passionate volunteers, and a strong financial base, all sustained by our loyal members. Everything is in place to achieve the vision of Our Wild Sussex.
If you share our energy and optimism for the future of nature in Sussex, and if you are ready for the challenge of turning hope into action, we invite you to lead us forward.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Pasricha
Chair
Sussex Wildlife Trust