The role and responsibilities of Amgueddfa Cymru
Amgueddfa
Cymru is one of the leading cultural organisations and national institutions in
Wales and is visited by 1.9 million people each year.
Established by Royal Charter in 1907, Amgueddfa Cymru is one of the
largest museums in the United Kingdom, the custodian of internationally
significant, diverse collections, and a leader in education and cultural participation.
Amgueddfa Cymru’s sites include Wales’ seven national museums: National
Museum Cardiff; St Fagans National Museum of History; Big Pit National Coal
Museum in Blaenavon; National Wool Museum Dre-fach, Felindre; National Roman
Legion Museum in Caerleon; National Slate Museum in Llanberis, Snowdonia and
the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. We also have a National Collections
Centre near Cardiff. There are over 5 million individual items in our
collections, embracing art and design, history and archaeology, and the natural
sciences.
Amgueddfa Cymru is sponsored by the Welsh Government. It has a Board of
Trustees whose role is to set the strategic direction of the organisation and
ensure proper management of its resources. As a Museum, we are also accountable
for the use of our collections and resources to the nation we serve.
Amgueddfa Cymru’s
vision
Amgueddfa Cymru belongs to us all. Our vision is to inspire people
through Wales’ national museums and collections to find a sense of well-being
and identity, to discover, enjoy and learn bilingually, and to understand
Wales' place in the wider world.
We believe that everyone has the right to participate in the cultural
life of their communities and of their nation. We’ve developed a ten-year
strategy for the Museum - Amgueddfa
Cymru 2030 - which includes six clear commitments. We will work with people and
communities across Wales, through collections, public programmes, and
partnerships, to:
- Make sure that everyone is represented
- Inspire creativity and learning for
life
- Help protect and restore nature and our
environment
- Support well-being through
inspirational spaces and experiences
- Discover and explore the museum
digitally
- Build global connections
Our new Vice-Chair will have a critical role to play in making these
commitments a reality and in supporting the delivery of the Welsh Government’s
Programme for Government commitments for which the Amgueddfa is a lead or key
partner, particularly developing plans for a Museum of North Wales, a National
Contemporary Art Gallery, a new Culture Strategy and commitments to create an
Anti-racist Wales.
The Board’s Role and
Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Amgueddfa
Cymru.
The role of the Board is to provide effective leadership, to
define and develop strategic direction and to set challenging objectives. The
Board promotes high standards of public accountability and upholds the
principles of regularity, propriety, and value for money. It monitors
performance against Amgueddfa Cymru's own strategic objectives and performance
targets, and those set by Welsh Government.
Amgueddfa Cymru is a registered charity and a Welsh
Government Sponsored Body. Trustees have obligations pursuant to charity law,
those set out in the Royal Charter and to the Welsh Government and to Senedd
Cymru and the Charity Commission.
Amgueddfa Cymru currently receives around 80% of its annual
funding (£25.4 million revenue funding, and £4.75m capital funding in 2022/23)
from the Welsh Government as Grant in Aid. The organisation employs over 600
staff across its sites.
A Tailored Review of Amgueddfa Cymru is currently underway –
the recommendations of which are due in Spring 2023. The Board will be
responsible for overseeing the swift implementation of the agreed
recommendations.
Trustees of the Board
Trustees oversee, support and hold to account the Director
General in implementing the Museum's strategic vision and delivering against
the objectives as set out by the Welsh Government in Amgueddfa Cymru’s Remit
Letter.
Trustees must also:
·
attend Board meetings regularly and prepare
thoroughly for them;
·
be prepared to serve on sub-committees;
·
actively support the Museum’s management and
staff in their work;
·
represent the Museum at public functions;
·
promote the profile of the Museum;
·
give the Museum the benefit of their experience
and expertise;
·
facilitate contact with Museum stakeholders; and
·
contribute to the development of policy,
strategies and priorities in relation to the management of the Museum's collections.
Trustees must be aware of their obligations arising from the
position of the Museum as a Welsh Government Sponsored Body and as a registered
charity. These are set out in the Framework Document, which sets out the Terms
and Conditions relating to the funding provided to the Museum by the Welsh
Government.
To be effective, the Board needs Trustees with a broad range
of expertise and experience.