The Landmark Trust is one of Britain's most successful and best-loved heritage organisations. It is an ambitious and dynamic charity which exists to serve two mutually supportive purposes: rescuing and restoring important imperilled historic buildings, and providing joy and inspiration to those who experience them.

Landmark’s core work since its foundation by John and Christian Smith in 1965 has involved taking on a small number of outstanding endangered historic buildings every year. After extensive research, planning and fundraising, each is repaired and revitalised with the greatest of care. These are ambitious and expensive projects, costing many millions of pounds, and involving the painstaking, skilled repair and adaptation of fragile listed buildings. Recent projects have included the complete restoration of a derelict Renaissance tower house in Inverness and the revival of the only surviving Semaphore Tower.

From the first the Landmark Trust has had a highly successful business engine at its heart. The vast majority of its c. £15m annual income comes from letting its buildings for holidays – a model which both gives year-round public access and provides the income to fund the charity, care for its buildings, and enable it to embark on important new projects. It does not normally receive any government or local authority funding.

Fitted out and furnished in the much-admired Landmark style, each restored building becomes a ‘Landmark’, available to anyone to rent. The charity now has some 200 buildings across the UK and a small number in Italy, employs over 500 people (many part-time) and has an annual occupancy rate of almost 90%. It also manages and cares for the unique and remarkable island of Lundy off the north coast of Devon, through its subsidiary The Lundy Company. The charity’s portfolio includes pavilions and long-houses, artillery forts and Gothic follies, clan chief’s castles and cotton weavers’ cottages, the homes of great writers and the creations of great architects, from Browning to Boswell, Pugin to Palladio.

As well as facilitating public access through letting its buildings for short stays, Landmark is committed to broadening its reach. It runs a range of engagement programmes, including education initiatives, free open days and free stays for beneficiaries of other charities.

While the income from letting the buildings pays for the running of the charity, fundraising plays a vital part in Landmark’s work, providing the funds for new building restoration projects. The Trust has received tremendous financial support over the years from a range of sources, including generous individuals, trusts and foundations and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Landmark’s Board of Trustees currently comprises nine members. They include individuals with high-level expertise across areas such as architecture, strategic planning, financial, operational and project management, conservation, marketing, digital and fundraising. Their style is informal and unbureaucratic and conduct of business is brisk and friendly.

The overarching purpose of the Board of Trustees is to ensure that the Landmark Trust is solvent, well run, its assets are safeguarded, it complies with relevant laws and regulations and it delivers its charitable objects. Their focus is on guiding the long-term direction of the charity, helping it to strike the right balance between its two charitable objects, to benefit the widest possible range of people, and to ensure it is taking proper and sustainable care of its exceptional historic places. The Board assesses candidate projects presented by staff, to ensure that it acquires those best suited to meeting the Trust’s charitable purposes, and monitors its ambitious capital projects ranging from £0.5m to £10m. It also supports fundraising and ensures that the charity is conducting its work in line with the Charity Governance code.

The health of the Landmark ‘holiday business’ is vital to the charity’s success. Trustees consider the key priorities for the business, monitor performance, give advice on trends and opportunities, and help guide strategic decisions about future development.

With a number of Board retirements this year, the Landmark Trust is looking for two new Trustees. The Trust is particularly interested in hearing from those who have broad experience in the leisure and hospitality sector or in heritage and / or architectural history. It is open to considering any outstanding candidate who brings strategic leadership experience, has a strong interest in Landmark's work and can make a significant Board contribution.

The Board is keen for its members to share the ambitions of the Trust and to have a truly broad-minded approach, able to 'see the wood for the trees'. Trustees must be able to communicate effectively with other Board members and staff and should be comfortable acting as ambassadors for Landmark, both in advocacy and supporting fundraising, and will possibly be, or soon become, a 'Landmarker' themselves.

Alan Leibowitz, Chair

Dr Doug Gurr

Helen Webb

Ptolemy Dean OBE

Sarah Staniforth CBE

Dame Elizabeth Forgan

John Hastings-Bass

Brian Millar

Sarah Hall

You can find out more about the Board here.

The Board meets four times per year, usually during the morning, either at the Trust’s offices in Shottesbrooke Park near Maidenhead, or in central London. It has a small number of Board Committees in which some, but not all, the Trustees are involved.

Every year the Trustees, accompanied by the senior leadership team, spend two days visiting the Trust’s buildings and relevant sites in a particular region. This is very valuable time spent together and attendance is important.

This role is unremunerated but reimbursement is made for all reasonable expenses with regard to duties on behalf of the charity. Trustees are appointed for a three-year term, renewable for a maximum of two additional three-year terms on invitation by the Nominations Committee.

The Landmark Trust is committed to broadening its reach – involving and bringing benefits to a wider range of people as part of its agreed EDI strategy. Applicants from under-represented groups for these Board roles would be particularly welcome.