* Hybrid: Dumfries & Galloway, DG2 8DW. Hybrid working arrangements are possible, with flexibility for remote working.
* Closing: 20th December 2024
* Advertised from: 9th December 2024
* Contract: Fixed-term freelance contract for 16 months with an option of extension. The total value of the freelance contract is £75,000 inclusive of VAT for 16 months. We will consider offering this as a staff position with a salary level of £40,000 - £47,000.
Role
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 fundraising campaign will be monitored by Trustees who will also support engagement work and identification of donors. There is a fundraising sub-committee that 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 Trust reserves the right to continue the contract into 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 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.
Application notes
To apply, please send your CV and examples of recent work to:
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