The charity responsible for preserving and promoting the historic village of Port Sunlight is looking for someone new to lead its Board of Trustees.
The Wirral village of Port Sunlight is known for being built by William Lever from 1888 to provide housing for ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory workers. It is arguably the finest surviving example of early urban planning in the UK, and has remained largely intact since its foundation. Its Arts and Crafts-style houses and picturesque parks and gardens make the village a popular place to live and visit.
Set up by Unilever in 1999, Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) is an independent charity responsible for preserving the village’s heritage. It is a private landlord to under a third of the village’s houses, public and commercial buildings, and cares for its significant monuments and over 130 acres of parkland and gardens.
To achieve its mission of promoting the village, PSVT also operates Port Sunlight Museum and other visitor attractions, runs an expanding learning programme for schools and education groups, and delivers a year-round programme of events and activities for the public and local community.
The charity’s current Chair of the Board, Rob Young, is stepping down following two terms of three years. Now, Port Sunlight Village Trust is advertising the rare opportunity for someone new to fill the important role.
Rob Young, current Chair of the Board at Port Sunlight Village Trust, said: “It has been my privilege and honour to be Chair of this unique and diverse charity and business. We’ve achieved so much as an organisation over the past six years, and I’m excited to see what someone else can contribute to Port Sunlight through this challenging yet rewarding role.”
The role gives someone with excellent leadership skills the opportunity to lead the transformation of the organisation. This includes PSVT’s ambitions to become a leading heritage attraction, develop new income streams and address historic structural challenges.
They will also work with the rest of the Board and PSVT’s Leadership team to ensure the organisation is governed effectively, is compliant and remains financially viable. They will also help to ensure that Port Sunlight becomes and remains a thriving and inclusive community.
Paul Harris, Chief Executive at Port Sunlight Village Trust, said: “We’re sad to say goodbye to Rob Young’s knowledge and guidance, however this is a brilliant opportunity for someone to drive forward our organisation’s ambitious plans for the future.”
To find out more about the role and how to apply, go to www.leadthepsvtboard.com.
Applications must be received by Friday 8 September 2023.