We Can Do More With Your Support
Colchester Museums Development Foundation supports Colchester Museums to inspire and enrich our local community, through the preservation, exploration, and sharing of the city’s heritage in its widest sense.
- Increase Colchester Museums’ capacity to offer accessible events and programmes.
- Provide new opportunities for engaging with Colchester Museums’ collections and research.
- Support and inform new initiatives across Colchester Museums that involve and reflect the diverse members of our community.
- Expand Colchester Museums’ reach and impact through collaboration with community groups and businesses.
Ways To Support
The Trustees
Sophie Weaver (Chair)
Sophie worked at Colchester Museums for a number of years before going freelance as an access consultant, where she has continued her access work in the cultural sector, working with many of the national museums. She also has become a podcaster and events host, whilst continuing to champion equal access for all.
Glyn Barritt
Glyn spent many years in higher and secondary education, directing programmes to support the effective use of teaching and learning technologies. Her role brought her into regular contact with education leaders, teachers and students, the DfE and sponsors from every corner of society. She is now enjoying opportunities to learn more about Colchester’s rich history and through the CMDF, is keen to explore ways of bringing that history to life and to promote the important role Colchester has played in the nation’s heritage. (@glynbarritt)
Philip Berners
Philip is lecturer and course leader for the events management degree programmes at the Edge Hotel School, University of Essex, Colchester campus and has a career organising high-profile events in the UK and Europe. He wants to bring his events expertise to the CMDF because he lives and works in Colchester and has ties with the city going back to 1980, so “it is about time I gave something back!”
Ilaria Boncori
Ilaria is a Professor in Organization Behaviour and Human Resources Management at the University of Essex. As a CMDF Trustee, she draws from her networks and research expertise on various aspects in relation to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to champion the Museums. Ilaria is passionate about memory, artefacts and communities.
Mark Cheeseman OBE
Mark is a Senior Civil Servant in the Cabinet Office, overseeing the government’s Counter Fraud and Grants Management Functions. He has undertaken various counter fraud, operations management and project management roles throughout his Civil Service career. Having studied Archaeology in University and undertaken a Masters in Roman Archaeology, he is enthusiastic for our history and heritage and continues to take an active interest in both preserving it for future generations and making it widely accessible.
Denise Fiennes
An arts professional, and psychotherapist, Denise has been involved with music, dance, heritage and education for over 40 years as a consultant, board member or Vice Chairman, including English National Ballet and Friends of the Ipswich Museums. She is Vice Chairman of the Friends of the Ipswich Museums and a psychotherapist with an online practice and works with Teenage Mental Health in Ipswich.
Frank Hargrave
Frank is Colchester + Ipswich Museums Manager. As his PhD focussed on the Later Iron Age, Colchester’s incredible archaeology from the period holds a special significance to him. For Frank, the CMDF offers an opportunity to both help protect some of the heritage of the city and to provide better access to it for new audiences.
Dave Hedges
Dave is the Head of Conservation and Estate Management at English Heritage Trust. He has written the charity’s first ever nature strategy and leads the team who care for Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall as well as places more local to Colchester like St John’s Abbey Gate and St Botolphs Church. Dave believes Colchester and the surrounding area have a rich heritage and is excited to help the museums share what makes the area so special and also encourage visitors to go out and discover what more the City has to offer.
Fern Lovett
Andrew Lynn
Andrew has worked in the charity sector for over 20 years, recently at UNICEF UK, specialising in data and its use in fundraising. He has always loved museums and as a CMDF Trustee wants to help make Colchester Museums more inclusive, improving the museums with exciting developments.
Stephanie Rickard
Stephanie is a Professor at the London School of Economics. Her research and teaching interests lie at the intersection of politics and international economics. In addition to academic research, Stephanie also contributes to government policy discussions, comments on events in the global economy for various media outlets, and volunteers in the non-profit sector, most recently as Chair of the Board of the International Organization Foundation. She has a long-standing interest in early history, particularly prehistory and ancient history, and is committed to working to preserve and share Colchester’s rich heritage.
Nick Wickenden
Nick recently retired from Chelmsford Museum as its archaeologist and manager, dealing with a variety of heritage projects. He moved to Colchester in 1986 and is Chair of Colchester Archaeological Trust. He would now like to use this experience for the benefit of Colchester Museums.
In memory of Lawrence Walker
The Colchester Museums Development Foundation was one of a number of charities and organisations in Colchester that benefited from his wisdom, knowledge, good humour and generosity of spirit. He holds a particularly special place in our thoughts due to his vital role as one of the founding trustees of the CMDF.
He will be greatly missed.
The Trustees of the Colchester Museums Development Foundation
Venues
