Kate Chadwick

I am experienced charity leader with over 20 years experience of managing large cultural venues. My roles have covered a wide variety of responsibilities including administration and governance, finance, health and safety, HR and fundraising. 

I took a self-imposed career break earlier this year to support end of life care for my mother. I am looking for a new career that offers me more flexibility to work from home and/or is part-time to allow me to pursue other interests. 

I am incredibly self-motivated, enjoy working with people and in a team, have excellent customer service and administrative skills and I am prepared to turn my hand to anything!

Profile

Experienced cultural leader with a strong track record of successful people and change management, major capital redevelopment and fundraising, governance and Board development, operations and facilities management.

Experience

NB. Currently on a self-imposed career-break due to a desire to support intensive end of life care for my disabled mother who died in April 2024. Now seeking to rejoin the active workforce. 

January 2022 – January 2024, Rockingham Forest Trust, Executive Director

Responsible for the overall management of a 750-acre protected nature reserve and adventure play park. Led both the charity operation and the commercial trading arm overseeing all aspects of the business including governance, business planning, HR and resource management, facilities and visitor services, health & safety. Key successes: reopened refurbished and rebranded visitor centre after a two-year closure within 8 weeks of taking up the role, recruited and reinvigorated the staff team, introduced new cloud-based systems to manage HR and document sharing, increased off-peak footfall/spend through new private hire, corporate team building packages and quality talks and workshops, significant fundraising success including £43,000 for green engineering and environmental education projects, £238,000 HLF resilience grant, £80,000 bid to local authority for a Changing Places toilet.

April 2016 – January 2022, MK Gallery, Deputy Director 

Responsible for 40 permanent and casual staff, 150+ volunteers and numerous freelance workers, numerous successful restructures, delivery of a £12m capital redevelopment which included setting up and running profitable in-house and franchised catering operations, a book/gift shop, cinema and private hire space, successful relations with public/private investors including Arts Council England, local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships across capital and revenue projects, extensive experience of business planning, board development and governance, successful oversight of health and safety, risk management, asset management, customer service, office administration, buildings and facilities, in a busy public venue with gardens, playground and other outdoor spaces. 

August 2006 - March 2016, MK Gallery, Head of Operations 

Responsible for HR and operational management, stakeholder relations and fundraising, building management and health and safety, streamlining of business systems to achieve 40% savings in operational revenue expenditure, successful office relocation and change management process to position the organisation for capital redevelopment, new staff handbook and review of all major operational policies.

2003-2006, Northamptonshire County Council, Literature Officer

Arts development role creating and running a range of arts projects and activities for artists, writers and readers including book groups, workshops, conferences, residencies and a high-profile talks programme.

Education

2010 Level 3 NVQ in Management

2010 Level 6 Professional Diploma in Marketing 

2006 Level 3 City & Guilds: An introduction to delivering learning 

2003 2:1 BA Honors Degree German and Politics

1999 S-Level History, A-level French, German, History 

Other   

2020                 Women Leaders UK - winner of the Art, Culture and Creative Industries Award

2018 – 2022     Trustee, MK Community Foundation, Chair, Grants Panel