Whittington Castle Preservation Trust
Board and supporting professional roles
Information Pack June 2021
Photo taken by Steve Murray. Prize winner in the monthly photo@thecastle competition
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
Whittington Castle
Our site and some history
Whittington Castle, the remains of a 12th century Marcher Norman Castle and gatehouse and keep, is a scheduled ancient monument in north west Shropshire close to Oswestry and the Welsh border. The Castle, on a 12-acre site including amenity land, forms part of a chain of buildings fortified in the C13th under the aegis of the Earl of Chester. The gatehouse and Tudor cottage are grade I listed.
Once the chief residence of the powerful Fitzwarine family the Castle is connected to much folklore and legend. Some say that the Holy Grail was once hidden here, that Fulk Fitzwarine was the real-life Robin Hood. The Castle and its grounds, which include a moat, fed by a stream, have been an important focus for the village of Whittington and surrounding area for at least 700 years (Iron Age earthworks date back to 500BC) and especially in the last year. The site is overseen by Whittington Castle Preservation Trust (WCPT).
The Castle and land are leased to the Preservation Trust for 100 years and the current owners are members of the Castle Board.
Our purpose
To preserve the Castle and adjoining area for future generations, and to bring history to life.
How we earn our income
We have been self-funding for the last 13 years as an education resource and visitor attraction. Income comes from c20,000 visitors per annum (who only pay to park) a shop, tearoom (recently re-branded as kitchen@thecastle) and diverse events and functions. This income also helps to fund an active schools’ programme, supported by heritage interpretation and a small museum.
The work of the Castle is important. With re-invigorated impetus from volunteers and the Castle manager, together with a new and exciting plan, the Castle has the potential to expand and influence local culture and heritage.
The impact of Covid
Since Covid-19 we have lost significant income from events, functions including weddings, and carparking. 65% of events and functions, including some high earning activities, did not take place in 2020.
From January 3 2021 all trading and income generation stopped. Investment we had hoped to make to upgrade our website (to build awareness, increase visitor numbers and grow our income), basic repairs and renewals eg to our function room for weddings must be put on hold. Even more challenging the Castle became VAT registered in April 2020 – the worst possible time for income. We have responded by increasing some prices eg carparking without apparent loss of visitors.
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On the plus side, by keeping the tearoom open for as long as possible throughout 2020 and into 2021, making it Covid-safe, offering takeaways, upgrading the menu, taking on a new chef and increasing our engagement through social media, we have secured income and a great deal of customer loyalty and support. At the same time, however, our costs significantly increased.
Covid has proved that we can be flexible and adapt our services to meet the changing situation. We have increased the level of goodwill and support from the community and have maintained a dialogue with the Castle membership throughout lockdowns. With this foundation we believe that it will not take us long to recover our customer base and income.
Planning for the future
Our plan for the next 5 years is ambitious. Broadly, to grow income and engagement across all age groups and backgrounds. We have every confidence that once we are through the current Covid-induced income shortfall we can reposition and rebuild our activities. An example of where Covid has prompted change is on-line learning and experiences for schools, groups and those interested in history. To date, we have needed to rely on organisations which can visit us. For the future, by being on-line, we can open to local, national and even international markets.
Building partnerships and local engagement are high on our agenda. The Parish Council has recently approved a small grant to assist with building a toilet block and we collaborate with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for ecology matters. There is a long-term partnership with Derwen College (vocational training for adults with learning challenges) whereby students tidy our grounds. We have also started a partnership with Oswestry School - their students will carry out projects on behalf of the Castle as part of their curriculum and community action. We are working towards an Oswestry School student member of our Board. We are also in discussion with Ellesmere College and other local schools. The primary school, church, senior citizens’ hall and community centre all support the Castle when performances are affected by the weather. The school provides an overspill car park, together with our village farm. During Christmas 2020 we partnered with the church and hosted two carol services in the car park. Local people have also been generous with donations. Both public houses have supported our photographic competition as judges.
The following testimonial was received recently: ‘Fellow [Whittington] Parish Councillors just wanted me to send you an email to congratulate you, the team and the trustees on the fantastic buzz you have managed to create at the Castle in these challenging times.’
We are currently investing in our kitchen which will significantly increase the food preparation space. We have plans, subject to final planning permission from SCC, to build a permanent outside toilet block. To achieve this we will need to fundraise.
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External funding
In 2020 the Castle received £52,400 restricted funding from the Heritage Emergency Fund.
In May 2021 we received a further £37,900 restricted funding from the Heritage Lottery Cultural Recovery Fund to help us prepare for re-opening. Monies will be spent on repairs, re- opening and upgrading kitchen@thecastle.
Staffing and volunteer support
The Castle team is led by the Castle Manager, Sue Ellis, who has a wealth of experience managing heritage sites and visitor attractions. Sue has worked for the Castle for the last 13 years. She is supported by the kitchen Chef Angus Berry and a small team of assistants. We are currently hosting two young people as part of the government’s Kickstart scheme.
We have engaged external specialist support to assist with HR, policies and procedures.
As we are a very small team some trustees have needed to be more tactical than strategic in recent years. We now realise that a small group of trustees no longer have the energy to cover all the areas required.
Our principal objectives going forward are to:
• grow income to return a surplus • expand our core objective of providing education services • re-establish ourselves as a visitor attraction, locally and further afield • build our skill base • improve our marketing and pr
The roles
Whittington Castle needs to operate like a business. As a small, self-funding organisation, up until now, we have relied on a group of willing volunteers who have done their best to be on hand during events and other activities. This is no longer enough. We are professionalising our Castle management and management Board, but there is still further to go. This is being carried out in line with the Charity Commission guidance on governance. (Slides from recent training will be made available.)
Who we are looking for
Please note: it is not a requirement to apply to be a Board member.
We are seeking individuals who are willing to share the following skills on a voluntary basis:
• business planning • capital and other fundraising • education, especially primary level and online delivery • ecology management • hospitality and event management • health and safety • heritage management, building, renovation and interpretation
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• HR and legal • marketing, comms and PR • membership management
You will bring a genuine interest in preserving our local heritage and appreciate the place of heritage buildings in the world today.
You will also be
• willing to assist WCPT in meeting its objectives • able to work within financial constraints • personally motivated to make a positive difference to others • a strategic thinker who can see the big picture • task and results orientated • able to engage and collaborate effectively with people at all levels from different backgrounds and organisations • proactive, progressive and innovative • well organised and willing to devote time to the Castle • reliable and trustworthy • an enthusiastic, light-hearted team player also able to work under your own initiative • willing to undergo training and a periodic performance review
WCPT is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity. We recognise the value of a diverse Board composed of people with the relevant blend of differing skills, experience, perspectives and characteristics. We believe that good decision-making is enabled through a diverse group of volunteers, a culture of listening and having Board behaviours that embody action, respect, openness and constructive challenge.
Time commitment
• up to four Board meetings per year, plus one Board development day and / or • active participation in one or more task and finish groups • working with the Castle manager and Board members on specific projects
All new Board members will have 3 months’ trial period before confirming appointment.
Location of meetings
Meetings of the Board are currently held online via Zoom due to Covid. Otherwise, and for task and finish groups, other meetings, they are held at:
Whittington Castle, Castle Street, Whittington, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 4DF.
Terms
Board members serve an initial 3-year term and are eligible for re-appointment for two additional terms of 3 years. Other professional volunteers may have short, medium or longer- term involvement.
Application We warmly welcome expressions of interest. Please submit your CV and area(s) of interest to [email protected]. We will then contact you for an initial conversation about the roles.
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