Leeds Heritage Theatres welcomes new Chair of the Board

Leeds Heritage Theatres is pleased to announce that Board Member, and previous Deputy Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, Alan Gay, will take up the position of Chair of the Board today, taking over from Paul Scholey.

A registered charity, Leeds Heritage Theatres Board is made up of volunteers who give their time and expertise to ensure the organisation’s charitable purpose is fulfilled, provide strategic oversight, and ensure the organisation is legally compliant and remains financially resilient; a key priority, given the current economic climate.

“I think it’s going to be a difficult time, but we are a resilient organisation (it’s one of our values) and I know we will weather the storm,” says Alan. Having had a long association with Leeds Heritage Theatres as both a customer, Board Member and Deputy Chief Executive of the council, Alan knows only too well the challenges that lie ahead post-pandemic: “I also think there’s a huge challenge to us to respond to the changing world we live in – we need to reflect our city in our programme and in our team. We need to create opportunities for more people to be able to engage… I know these are things we’re already working on and I’m sure we will move closer to our goals over the coming years.”

Whilst financial challenges ensue, the future isn’t all doom and gloom. As well as the upcoming reopening of Hyde Park Picture House, a healthy Christmas programme, including Les Misérables and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Pantomime, and a positive recruitment drive across all teams, Leeds Heritage Theatres recognises that this is an exciting time to be a cultural organisation in the Leeds City Region against the backdrop of major cultural festivals, including Leeds 2023 and Bradford 2025.

Outgoing Chair, Paul Scholey says: “It’s been a privilege to help run the best venues in the country (not that I’m biased) … I’m incredibly proud that our venues are the ‘cultural crown jewels’ of Leeds. They’re all just so special and it’s been an honour to be a part of helping them survive.”

Leeds Heritage Theatres would like to thank Paul for six years of devoted service as Chair, especially throughout the pandemic, helping to steer the charity to recovery.

The organisation is also looking for four new members to join the Board of Trustees. Applicants do not need to have served as a Trustee before but must ideally have experience in several key areas: Leadership in the creative and cultural sector, IT & Digital, Fundraising or Legal. The charity is also mindful that having different voices on the Board helps shape its vision and purpose so is actively welcoming applications from under-represented groups (diversity of ethnicity, age, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment). More information can be found at www.leedsheritagetheatres.com/joinourteam