Manchester’s Pankhurst Trust is seeking to appoint a new Chair of Board of Trustees. Having held the role after two very successful terms, Louise Sutherland is stepping down, but will continue to play an active volunteering role within the organisation. The Pankhurst Trust is truly unique, combining as it does both the provision of vital women’s services and the carrying forward of the suffragette legacy that began in the former home of Emmeline Pankhurst, from where its operations are based.
This is a really exciting volunteering opportunity to make a significant and very real difference to the lives of women and their families across Greater Manchester as part of Manchester Women’s Aid. It is also an opportunity to be a part of a team that works to explore and share the story of the suffragette movement and its relevance today, with the museum at the Pankhurst Centre the country’s only dedicated to women’s suffrage.
Gail Heath, CEO of the Pankhurst Trust, says, “We are incredibly lucky to have had Louise at the helm of our Board. For more than six years, with unending passion and energy, she’s given the Pankhurst Trust exceptional expertise and guidance. We are looking for someone to join us with this same enthusiasm and an awareness and understanding of the Trust’s complex work.”
Louise Sutherland, outgoing Chair of the Pankhurst Trust, says, “The Trust was very new when I joined and as I look back now it’s remarkable to see how we’ve grown in influence, started new services, invested in staff, developed new partnerships and grown our supporter network. It’s also been wonderful to see the Trust play its role in key moments such as the centenary of the first women achieving the vote and young activists being inspired to continue the quest for change. This is a broad role, but one that comes with a huge amount of support from a wonderful and dedicated team.”
The Pankhurst Trust has huge ambitions, both in the delivery of its services to women and children, and its vision for the Pankhurst Centre. In the last 12 months the need for Manchester Women’s Aid services have been at levels never previously seen and the impact of Covid-19 continues, making this an ongoing challenge for the organisation. The Pankhurst Centre is looking to the future, with the opening of a new permanent exhibition set to coincide with the museum’s reopening later this year, and with its sights set on ultimately achieving the conservation and restoration of the Grade II* listed building. Helping the team to carry forward these aims will be an important part of the role of the new Chair.
Chair of the Pankhurst Trust Board of Trustees is a voluntary role, with applications open until Friday 26 March 2021. All of the background details and information on the post are available here: https://pankhursttrust.org/get-involved/jobs/chair-board-trustees
