Crystal Palace Park Trust
CEO
Crystal Palace Park Trust is now seeking to recruit a CEO who will be responsible both for the Trust and its trading subsidiary, Crystal Palace Park Events Limited, and lead the organisation forward into the exciting next chapter of its history.
Crystal Palace Park Trust is an independent, community-led charity which, in September 2023 following several years of negotiation, became the Park’s custodian, taking over responsibility from the London Borough of Bromley on a 125-year lease. The Trust has a mission to protect, manage and improve the Grade II* listed Park in the interests of the diverse communities drawn from the surrounding five boroughs, and other visitors. The Trust aims to manage and maintain the Park as a green, open, historic, ecological, recreational, sporting, cultural and educational resource, with a vision to make Crystal Palace Park an outstanding modern park for London, while retelling its history for the nation.
The transfer is a key stage of a regeneration plan which will see a major transformation of the Park and is fundamental to creating a sustainable model for the Park’s future, with the Trust now responsible for delivering wide-ranging improvements that will benefit the whole community.
The CEO will be accountable for the strategic leadership and development of Crystal Palace Park Trust and will develop a strategy with the board for the achievement of the organisation’s charitable objectives. This will include, for example, the development and diversification of income streams, development of volunteering, community arts, and education programmes, heritage and landscape conservation and maintenance and improvement of the Park’s ecological and recreational resources. The CEO will work with the Park’s freeholders, the London Borough of Bromley, to ensure successful delivery of the regeneration plans, and with the Greater London Authority on regeneration plans for the National Sports Centre, as well as with the leadership team to help the Trust achieve its strategic goals.
The ideal candidate will bring senior leadership experience from a relevant context – this could be heritage, environment, culture, regeneration or charity management, or indeed others. They wil also bring strong stakeholder management skills, an entrepreneurial and innovative approach, an interest in parks, arts, heritage, culture and leisure, and a commitment to the vision and values of Crystal Palace Park Trust. They will need the wherewithal to drive the Trust’s ambitions in terms of volunteering and community engagement and will bring considerable skills and experience along with the requisite ambition, drive and a values-led approach.
Crystal Palace Park Trust believes that an equitable and inclusive work environment and a diverse, empowered team are key to achieving its mission. It therefore encourages applications from individuals currently underrepresented in the creative and cultural sectors. This includes but is not limited to people of African or Caribbean heritage; Arabic heritage; Latin American heritage; East Asian, South Asian and South-East Asian heritage; people from traveller communities; disabled people; members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from a low-income background. The Trust and Saxton Bampfylde aspire to provide those candidates with an equitable and accessible recruitment process, and if you require any adjustments or further accommodations to the process, do let us know.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Crystal Palace Park Trust on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference EBKYA. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Friday 15th December 2023.
The Trust has a mission to protect, manage and improve the Grade II* listed Park in the interests of the diverse communities drawn from the surrounding five boroughs, and other visitors.