The Society is a Charitable Trust responsible for the care and conservation of Cromford Mills which is part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, one of only four industrial world heritage sites in the United Kingdom. Cromford Mills’ unique claim to fame is that ‘The First Mill’ built in 1771 was the first factory in the world where mass production techniques were applied to manufacturing, in this instance to cotton spinning using water powered machinery on a large ‘industrial’ scale.
Sir Richard Arkwright founded this cotton spinning business and in the 1770s and 1780s built several mills on the site which the Society has owned and looked after since its creation in 1979. Much has been achieved in terms of preserving the buildings and we have benefited from grants from public bodies and charitable trusts to help regenerate the Mills and bring them back into economic use. However, grants are not usually available for day to day operating expenses and we have continuously developed our commercial activities to provide a regular income; this is primarily through events, our cafes and leasing space to business tenants including retailers together with our own shop in the Mill Yard
We are now a major tourist attraction in Derbyshire with over 200000 visitors every year coming to witness our heritage and help sustain the local economy and community.
The Society is governed by a Board of 12 Trustees and we are looking to appoint a Trustee who would also serve as Chair of the Audit Committee; the Trustee would also be a member of the Cromford Mills Board which oversees the Society’s commercial activities. The trustee currently filling these roles is retiring shortly after several years’ valuable service.
We are now a major tourist attraction in Derbyshire with over 200000 visitors every year coming to witness our heritage and help sustain the local economy and community.
The Society is governed by a Board of 12 Trustees and we are looking to appoint a Trustee who would also serve as Chair of the Audit Committee; the Trustee would also be a member of the Cromford Mills Board which oversees the Society’s commercial activities. The trustee currently filling these roles is retiring shortly after several years’ valuable service.
We need a Trustee who is financially qualified to help maintain and support the high professional standards of accounting set by our experienced CFO
Trustees are not remunerated and in terms of commitment, the Board normally meets 10 times a year in the early evenings; personal attendance is the norm and it is important to us that a Trustee becomes familiar with Cromford Mills and engages with our staff and volunteers; we have a strong senior management team led by our CEO, Eilis Scott, who is very experienced in heritage and conservation.
Joining the Society now would be at a very exciting time given a recent grant of £1.3m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop plans to regenerate one of our iconic Mills. Much more information can be found on the Society’s website www.cromfordmills.org.uk and If you would like to discuss this role as a Trustee, please contact: John Rivers, Chair of the Arkwright Society email: jrr08@tiscali.co.uk or: mobile 07770 965226
