Board of Abney Park Trustees – Help needed

The COVID-19 epidemic has highlighted the importance of Abney Park as a communal garden, a place of peace and respite for local people as well as being a nature reserve with a unique and precious habitat.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the income of Abney Park Trust and our ability to help preserve this environment and carry out the important work we do in the community.

We urgently need people with knowledge and skills in fundraising to help direct the Trust’s efforts to increase our ability to raise funds and secure our future.

We also need people who have knowledge and skills in communications, digital platforms and social media, to raise our local and national profile and to support our immediate and long-term funding strategy.

If you are passionate about Abney Park and feel you have talents in both or either of these areas, we would like to hear from you.

What we do

The Trust’s mission is to:

  • safeguard and nurture the historical understanding of the cemetery and arboretum

  • promote the widest possible use of the park with a regular program of community events

  • promote and champion the park’s unique wildlife and biodiversity

The Trust works alongside Hackney council but is reliant upon fundraising to pay for two part time staff, all office administrative costs associated with running the visitor center and the co-ordination of a wide range of activities that take place in the Park.

We have exciting plans. The Trust is developing a new strategy and business plan, as well as supporting the park’s redevelopment following Hackney Council’s successful bid for National Lottery Heritage Funding.

Your role

To assist the Board of Trustees to:

  • advise on urgent fundraising activities to address the financial impact of COVID-19

  • work with Trustees, staff and subcommittee members to identify medium- and long-term fundraising opportunities

  • help plan and implement fundraising activities

  • raise the profile of Abney Park Trust within the local community and as a resource within London with a national profile

  • develop strategic plans to secure the long-term financial welfare of the Trust

  • develop relationships with key business and community partners to assist with ongoing financial support

  • develop and manage the Trust’s public profile to support its ability to secure funding

This is an opportunity for people who are locally based, who want to make an impact on their local community and the way that Abney Park is run.

We would like to hear from you if you want to volunteer some of your time to help the board or if you would be interested in becoming a Trustee.

We particularly welcome interest from people with Black and Ethnic Minority background.

Email: info@abneypark.org with 'Communications Fundraising Role ' in the subject line. Please include your CV, and explain why you are interested in this role, briefly outlining any relevant experience, and the skills and qualities you can bring to the role.

Apply by 8pm Sunday 10 May 2020.

If your application is accepted, we will arrange a mutually convenient time to make contact and (possibly meet virtually), where we can explain more about the role and the process, and learn more about each other.

If you don't think this is the right opportunity for you now, but would like to join our band of volunteers who help marshal theatre events, in the visitor center and shop, on an ad hoc basis on the Trust stall at events, or weekly landscaping volunteering, please get in touch with 'Volunteer' in the subject line of your email.

Abney Park Trust

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