MEETING GERARD LEMOS

At the start of the year Gerard Lemos became the Chair of the Board of Trustees. We asked Gerard about his views on volunteering.

What attracted you to volunteer at English Heritage? I jumped at the chance because I just thought ‘what a fantastic job to do!’ It’s a huge privilege and honour. I believe that trustees should be volunteers because it changes the way they engage with the organisation. We may not get paid, but we get rewarded in all sorts of other important ways. It’s such a privilege to be shown around these sites by historians and curators, meeting such interesting people and seeing such beautiful things. The volunteers I meet at Audley End or Kenwood or our other sites are incredibly knowledgeable and I am always awe-struck! What more could anyone want?

What does the Chair’s role involve?

I’m pleased to say I don’t actually have to run the organisation – thatʼs down to Kate Mavor and the senior managers. But what I and the other terrifi c trustees do is think about the big picture and the next 10 or 20 years. We bring professional experience and skills, and we can advise on various aspects of the charity’s work, but our main role is to help the senior management to think about the long term. English Heritage is a large charity so trustees also have to be good stewards of the organisation and its charitable objectives.

What do you think is so special or important about volunteering at English Heritage? Of course, we all have a role to play in encouraging and welcoming visitors and supporting the research and care of the collection, but I think that English Heritage volunteers have a special relationship with our visitors because they are volunteers. But more than that, English Heritage is a community with a shared commitment to the past and the future of the 400 sites we care for. But we also refl ect and represent the way that we think about England as a country and the way that we think about ourselves. I hope our volunteers feel they are part of that wider community and encourage their friends to join us.

How can we get a wider range of people, including young people, involved in volunteering? The whole question of diversity, not just in volunteering, is about how we tell the story, and to make that as inclusive as possible. To me that is very important, and we’re working hard to listen carefully and to tell diverse stories. Our aspiration is to share everyone’s story. That’s what heritage is about for me.

I meet a lot of young volunteers, and I would encourage them to think of volunteering as a way to consider how the past has made you who you are. We want to tell the stories of our properties through the stories of people who lived or worked there.

I was surprised that the fi rst Duke of Wellington lived in the Indian city in which I was born. I thought I knew a lot about him, but I didn’t. That sense of connection is very important when you’re young. Many young people today feel isolated and detached but being involved with English Heritage and being out and about and spending time with different people is great for your sense of who you are, your sense of belonging and wellbeing. ►

What would you like to say to our volunteers?

Iʼve not been in the role long but the first thing one has to say is ‘thank you!’ We simply couldnʼt do it without you. You are central to the way the public see us and what we achieve. We really appreciate not just the knowledge that you bring – I think that is completely astounding – but also the way you get your enthusiasm and commitment across to our visitors. It really helps to communicate our values to visitors, which is something we are deeply appreciative of.

What is your favourite English Heritage site?

I’m a bit reluctant to answer this question for fear of offending anyone! But I love my local site, which is Totnes Castle – it really fires kids’ imaginations, and it has great views.

I recently visited Clifford’s Tower, on the day the first of the 18,000 daffodils were flowering. The Jewish community had a Hannukah celebration there, which was the first time a Jewish ceremony had been held in the tower for 830 years. The people there were very moved.

I was tremendously moved by that story, and it really shows how heritage can bring people together. We also have the most amazing gardens. I was at Mount Grace Priory and met volunteers who were working their socks off on those gardens, doing backbreaking work, planting ferns and cutting edges. The staff teams are often small so we couldn’t show such wonderful gardens without the volunteers. ■

WHO IS GERARD LEMOS?

Gerard is a leading social policy expert with a particular interest in the role communities can play in our societies. He brings a wealth of experience from the worlds of finance, government and the arts. He is a former Chair of the British Council and is the current Chair of the Agency Board of His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

Gerard was born in India and grew up in London. He studied History and English at the University of York and now lives in Devon. Hear more from Gerard by following his blog posts on Fuse.

BEING A TRUSTEE – WHAT’S INVOLVED?

Trustees sit on the board of English Heritage. Their role is to provide strategic direction and constructive oversight to make sure English Heritage delivers its goals and that it’s managed effectively. For more information, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/our-people/our-trustees