Charity registered in Scotland SC049973
Top job! Director of Fundraising
- Full time
- £40,000 – £47,000
- Hybrid: Dumfries & Galloway, DG2 8DW. Hybrid working arrangements are possible, with flexibility for remote working.
- Closing 20th December 2024
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) seeks an experienced and dynamic Director of Fundraising to lead fundraising efforts for the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, an ambitious conservation and adaptation initiative at Ellisland Museum and Farm. The post is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to the players of the National Lottery. This exciting role involves launching and directing a major fundraising campaign to secure backing required for the £7.4m project, which will restore and transform the historic site into a vibrant centre for heritage, learning, and artistic inspiration.
Introduction/Background
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) safeguards the 1788 farm designed and built by Robert Burns on the banks of the River Nith near Dumfries. This A-listed site is the best-preserved of all the poet’s homes and the place where he wrote a quarter of his musical output, including Auld Lang Syne.
The farmstead sits on 140 acres of woodland and fields first enclosed by Burns himself. Managed by a volunteer-led SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) since 2020, Ellisland is both a museum and a public space, with seasonal opening hours, events, and group visits. Volunteers maintain the grounds year-round, providing free public access to the riverside paths and walks.
RBET’s mission is:
“Ellisland is the place to fall in love with Burns. We will increase awareness of Ellisland as central to the artistic development of Robert Burns in poetry and romantic song. We will enhance understanding of the site as the best place to see the natural world through the poet’s eyes. We will create a world-class visitor experience and a vibrant centre for creative learning to ensure the unique collection, buildings, and landscape are accessible to a diverse range of modern audiences.”
Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne
In September 2024, we secured a development stage grant of up to £489,206 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne. The development stage of the project is costed at £945,000, with an estimated total project cost of £7.4m.
The project will restore the 1788 cottage, create an immersive visitor experience, adapt the barn into a Centre for Song, and develop a new museum gallery to safeguard and display Burns’s collection. It will also include outdoor enhancements, skills training, volunteering, and a robust programme of events and residencies, ensuring the site’s long-term sustainability and community engagement.
The Director of Fundraising will be integral to achieving the funding goals necessary to bring this vision to life.
The Brief
The Director of Fundraising will lead a global fundraising campaign for the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project. This individual will work closely with the Project Director, Technical Project Manager, Trustees, and external consultants to deliver funding targets for the capital project and associated revenue funding needs. The fund-raising campaign will be monitored by Trustees who will also support engagement work and identification of donors. The is a fundraising sub-committee which will monitor progress. The project includes a budget to support our membership recruitment and retention with a CRM system. It is essential that the individual has experience of working with projects supported by the Heritage Fund.
The position can be fulfilled either through a freelance contract or a staff position.
The position will cover the Development Phase of the project, leading up to a Delivery Stage Application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Trusts reserves the right to continue the contract into the the delivery stage of the project, which is expected to last until 2028. The Trust also reserves the right to end or suspend the contract at the end of the development stage.
Any Freelance contractor will require to have appropriate Professional Indemnity insurance, Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance. This should be highlighted in the advert.
A full Project Brief is available for download below.
Project Manager – Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne Project
- Full time
- £40,000 – £47,000
- Hybrid: Dumfries & Galloway
- Closing 31st December 2024
Role Summary
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) seeks a highly skilled Project Manager to lead the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne project, delivering significant conservation and adaptation works at Ellisland Museum and Farm. The post is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to players of the National Lottery and South of Scotland Enterprise.
Introduction
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust (RBET) safeguards the 1788 farm designed and built by the poet Robert Burns on the banks of the Nith near Dumfries. The A listed steading is the best preserved of all the poet’s homes, the only one he built, and the place where he wrote a quarter of his musical output, including the international anthem to friendship, Auld Lang Syne. The farmstead sits in 140 acres comprising woodland and fields which were first enclosed by Burns himself. RBET is a membership Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation with a volunteer board of Trustees formed in 2020, although the site itself has been held in trust since 1928. It is located six miles north of Dumfries off the A76. It is an accredited museum, with seasonal opening, holding events and group visits off-season, depending on capacity. A small team of volunteers maintain the grounds and riverside walks for free public enjoyment all year.
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust’s charitable purpose is as follows:
To hold the lands and farm of Ellisland, and such other funds and assets as may from time to time be comprised in the Trust Property, in trust for the following purposes:
(a) the advancement of education
(b) the advancement of the arts, heritage and culture
(c) the promotion of the life and works of Robert Burns
(d) to maintain a museum and collections for the benefit of the public
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust Mission Statement is as follows:
“Ellisland is the place to fall in love with Burns. We will increase awareness of Ellisland as central to the artistic development of Robert Burns in poetry and romantic song. We will enhance understanding of the site as the best place to see the natural world through the poet’s eyes. We will create a world class visitor experience and a vibrant centre for creative learning to ensure the unique collection, buildings and landscape are accessible to a diverse range of modern audiences.”
Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne
In September 2024, our trust secured the offer of a development stage grant of up to £489,206 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne. In November 2024 we were awarded up to £313,000 from South of Scotland Enterprise towards the project. We expect to receive Permission to Start by January 2025. The development stage of the project is costed at £945,000 while the full cost after delivery and re-opening is £7.4m, which includes start up activity costs.
Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne intends to bring the spirit of Burns – love, kindness and equality – into the 21st century and widen access to Ellisland with a vibrant programme of events, activities and artist residencies. We will restore the 1788 cottage, creating an immersive visitor experience, and develop a gallery/museum to display the collection, which is at risk in the deteriorating buildings. Our barn will be sensitively adapted as a Centre for Song, so future generations are inspired by Burns’s “sweet poetic ground.” We will increase visitor numbers and develop new income streams to protect the built heritage, collection and outdoor spaces, including woods, paths and fields created by Burns. This will increase economic prosperity in South Scotland and enhance wellbeing with skills training, jobs and volunteering opportunities.
A full brief can be downloaded below.