Position Description
The John Rae Society seeks new Trustees to help develop the charity and lead our exciting Hall of Clestrain projects.
Our mission is to educate people about the pioneering Arctic explorer John Rae’s remarkable life and achievements, and to celebrate Orkney’s rich heritage.
What will you be doing?
The need. We currently have six trustees and are seeking up to six more. We are looking for collaborative individuals dedicated to public education and heritage preservation, proactive and engaged in Board discussions. The commitment is 1-2 days per month, including Board meetings and an annual strategy awayday in Orkney. There is also an opportunity to participate in working groups.
We recently completed a Governance Review and have established new structures and processes to enable us to develop and increase engagement with the charity, at the same time as planning and developing two capital projects through which we will rescue John Rae’s birthplace – Category A listed Hall of Clestrain – and transform it into a vibrant visitor attraction and community resource over the next decade:
Project 1 (short term). Save Hall of Clestrain – an urgent repairs project to restore the building structure and exterior, making it wind and watertight and enabling it to dry out ahead of any further work.
Project 2 (medium term). Capital Project – a project to secure the long-term sustainable future of Hall of Clestrain through a mixed-use development combining heritage attraction, engagement, learning, community and commercial activities.
We have secured match funding for Project 1 and in summer 2026, plan to make a R1 Development Phase application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The skills we are looking for are: Charity governance, Finance, Fundraising, Historic buildings conservation, Volunteer management & support and Construction project management.
Roles include: Treasurer, Charity Secretary, Lead Fundraising Trustee, Lead Marketing and Communications Trustee.
What difference will you make?
We are looking to fill several roles: Treasurer, Charity Secretary, Lead Fundraising Trustee, Lead Marketing and Communications Trustee.
These roles are vital to enabling us to progress and achieve our mission and ambitious plans.
Treasurer. Over the past several years we have been successful in securing almost £1m in funding, most recently a grant of £248,600 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. These funds, alongside grants from Trust and Foundations need oversight and robust systems to be in place. The role of Treasurer will lead this work and also oversee the income from our membership subscriptions.
Charity Secretary. Following a Governance Review, we introduced the role of Charity Secretary to ensure the Society has sufficient capacity and leadership to oversee the governance of the charity, ensuring it complies with all charity and wider requirements. This is especially important as we secure funds to undertake major capital projects.
Lead Fundraising Trustee. We have a track record of success in raising funds for our mission and projects. We have already secured offers of the match funding required for Project 1, and in summer 2026 will submit a R1 Development Phase application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. With this funding secured, we will immediately turn to securing the funding for Project 2. This is an exciting time for someone with fundraising experience to join the trust. With public sector and Heritage Fund fundraising experience on the board, we are particularly interested in recruiting a trustee with charity fundraising experience.
Lead Marketing and Communications Trustee. We have recently created a new brand and launched a new website and social media accounts. However, we’d be the first to admit that we need help and so we’re looking for someone excited by our mission and ambitions to help us engage our 500 international members, the public and local community, galvanising them behind our plans for the future.
As trustees, all play an active role in the Society – attending Board and wider meetings, leading designated areas of responsibility and participating in dynamic working groups including: Major Projects, Engagement and Operations.
Whatever your skills and experience, there is a place and role within JRS for you.