Treasurer (Trustee Board)
Pro-bono, reasonable expenses
Melrose, Scottish Borders
Recruitment Information
The Abbotsford Trust is seeking a new Chair and a new Treasurer. These are exciting opportunities to
lead the next stage of Abbotsford’s development, working in partnership with our recently appointed
Chief Executive (Business Transformation).
The Abbotsford Trust, home of Sir Walter Scott, has completed an £11.24 million restoration, with the
historic house reopening to the public in July 2013. After a full year of trading the Trust is looking to
future growth and development.
For the Treasurer appointment, Abbotsford is looking for suitably qualified individuals with:

excellent financial management skills;

business acumen;

knowledge of financial regulatory frameworks, ideally including SORP;

understanding of good governance within a not-for-profit context.

understanding of cultural, financial, business and political issues and how these might relate to
Abbotsford.
Board meetings are held quarterly, Executive Committee meetings are currently held monthly but this is
likely to reduce in 2016. All Trustees are expected to contribute to fundraising activities.
Candidates are asked to submit the C.V. and a statement in support of the application. Applications to
be sent to Liz McIntyre at lmcintyre@borderscollege.ac.uk
If you would like a confidential discussion about the posts please contact Liz McIntyre on 01896 662526
Closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 6th February 2015. Interviews will be held on
Thursday 5th March 2015 at Abbotsford House.
We welcome applicants from all sections of society regardless of sex, gender reassignment, race,
disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and
maternity or other status.
The Abbotsford Trust is a registered Charity (Charity No SCO37424)
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
1
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
January 2015
Role Description
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
Context
Abbotsford was designed and built by Sir Walter Scott as both his home and the location for his
extensive collection of books and historical memorabilia, and was first opened to the public in 1833, five
months after his death. After the death of his last direct descendent in residence, Dame Jean MaxwellScott, in 2004, The Abbotsford Trust was created to preserve, protect and promote not only the house,
but also the life and works of Sir Walter.
Abbotsford has come to the end of an £11.24 million restoration, with £4.85 million granted by the
Heritage Lottery Fund and a further £3.95 million granted by the Scottish Government, Scottish Borders
Council, Historic Scotland and Scottish Enterprise. As the next part of the journey, Abbotsford needs
to create a financially sustainable future for the charity, maximising the potential of such a significant
heritage site and ensuring significant operational growth in terms of visitor numbers and commercial
income generation.
In addition to the role and accountabilities described below, the Chair also shares the accountabilities
described in the job description for Charity Trustees.
Role Summary

To oversee and monitor the financial matters of the charity and report to the Resources and
Steering Committee and the Board of Trustees at regular intervals about the financial health of
the organisation, in line with good practice and in accordance with the governing document and
legal requirements
Main Accountabilities

To ensure that that the organisation’s financial dealings are prudently and systematically accounted
for, audited and publicly available

To ensure that the organisation has a satisfactory system for holding in trust for the beneficiaries of
the charity any monies or property

To ensure that, where appropriate, monies are invested to the greatest benefit of the organisation
within the constraints of the law and prudent investment practices
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
2
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
January 2015
Main Duties

Advise the Board and Chief Executive on the financial implications of the charity’s strategic plan

Ensure that financial resources are spent and invested in line with good governance, legal and
regulatory requirements, and that proper financial systems and controls are in place

Ensure the development and implementation of financial, reserves and investment policies

Attend the Executive Committee and advise on financial matters in line with standing orders and
terms of reference, and report back to the board of trustees

Provide advise and support to the Chief Executive, Executive Committee and Board of Trustees to
ensure sustainable, accountable and effective financial management.

Monitor and advise on the financial viability of the charity and the financial implications of the
charity’s strategic plan

Liaise, where applicable, with the appropriate personnel responsible for the financial activities of the
organisation

Liaise, where applicable, with the Auditors in relation to the production of the audited accounts, any
investigations or required changes to practice to meet statutory, legislative and best practice
requirements

Acting as a counter-signatory on charity cheques and any applications for funds.

Act as an ambassador for Abbotsford, as directed by the Board.
Person Specification

Interest in Abbotsford and the legacy of Walter Scott and commitment to supporting the Trust to
become an effective and premier heritage site

excellent financial management skills;

business acumen;

knowledge of financial regulatory frameworks, ideally including SORP;

understanding of good governance within a not-for-profit context.

understanding of cultural, financial, business and political issues and how these might relate to
Abbotsford.
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
3
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
January 2015
Background
In 2007, Abbotsford came under the care of The Abbotsford Trust - a new charitable trust created
following the death of Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott, the last descendant of Scott to live at Abbotsford.
The Patron is The Duke of Buccleuch and the Trust aims to preserve and protect Abbotsford for
future generations and act as a guardian of Scott’s legacy by continuing to educate the public about
his home and his work.
In order to guarantee Abbotsford’s long-term future as a visitor attraction, the Trust began to raise
the £14.5 million required to save the house, its buildings, lands and contents for Scotland and the
wider world in 2009. With help from statutory bodies, such as The Heritage Lottery Fund and
Historic Scotland, over £12 million was raised for the capital project which has allowed us to
restore and conserve the house and its collection of 9,000 books and 4,000 objects, all of which
were collected by Scott.
Alongside the restoration of the house a new Visitor Centre was created, including a free to access
introductory exhibition on Sir Walter Scott and Abbotsford; this opened in August 2012 and had
welcomed over 35,000 visitors by the following July, despite the historic house still being closed for
restoration. In July 2013 the house successfully reopened to the public and welcomed over 40,000
paying visitors to the House in its first season following redevelopment and a further 30,000 to the
grounds, restaurant and gift shop.
To date, the Trust has raised over £12 million, thanks in large part of the generosity of public
sector bodies including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government
and Scottish Borders Council, as well as private individuals, trusts and foundations, however £2.5
million still needs to be raised to safeguard this unique historic property.
The Trust completed an £11.68 million restoration of Abbotsford in 2013, but this was just the
start of a journey to ensure that Abbotsford and the legacy of Sir Walter Scott will be promoted
and conserved for future generations.
Why Abbotsford Matters
Abbotsford, the home that Sir Walter Scott created, is recognised worldwide as a living symbol of
the mind and soul of a man who did so much for literature and for the Scotland we know today. It
is first and foremost a literary home - the place where Scott was inspired to write the majority of
his great works.
Scott lavished time, energy and funds on the creation of Abbotsford. Upon completion in 1824 the
image of Abbotsford appeared across the globe and inspired a vogue for Scottish Baronial
architecture in England, America, Canada and even Russia. Scott’s vision also influenced other
landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament in London, Balmoral on Royal Deeside and the Tribune
Tower in Chicago. Many places are named after Abbotsford – suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne,
Dunedin and Johannesburg as well as towns and cities in Canada and the USA.
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
4
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
January 2015
Scott amassed a unique collection of over 9,000 volumes housed in the purpose-built Library and
Study at Abbotsford. The building is also home to a remarkable collection of antiquities, weapons,
suits of armour, animal skulls and foreign curios procured by Scott to decorate his house and to
project an aura of heritage so prized by the Victorians. Despite its ancient style, the house was
modern and the first in Scotland to be lit by gas. It is an early example of ‘House and Garden’; the
integrated concept of bringing a formal garden close to the house.
Abbotsford holds an important place in the history of architecture and is particularly significant
because Scott was so instrumental in the design and realisation of his dream. The house offers a
unique insight into Scott’s creativity through the construction of his ‘Conundrum Castle’ and a rare
experience where visitors can come close to a great man of the past.
Why Scott Matters
Until Scott, 19th century readers concentrated on poetry, plays and sermons; novels were widely
considered as tasteless. This changed in 1814 when a small anonymous novel entitled Waverley
became fiction’s earliest bestseller, earning Scott ten times as much in its first year as Pride and
Prejudice made Jane Austen in her lifetime. It was the book that began to make novel reading
respectable. Scott produced a vast volume of work over the following 16 years, including iconic
novels such as The Heart of Midlothian, Ivanhoe and Kenilworth, which generated an insatiable appetite
for this form of writing.
Scotland was seen as a barren and inhospitable wilderness before Scott. His works such as The Lady
of the Lake, Waverley, Rob Roy and Tales of a Grandfather transformed his homeland into a landscape
of romantic beauty and Highlanders into noble savages with an enviable code of courage, honour
and loyalty. The image of Scotland which holds sway throughout the world today owes almost
everything to Sir Walter Scott, who can be credited as the man who reinvented a nation.
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
5
Treasurer (Trustee Board)
January 2015
Staffing Structure October 2014
Chief Executive
(Business Transformation)
Marketing Officer
Visitor Services Manager
Heritage & Engagement
Manager
Gardens Heritage Manager
Finance & Administration
Manager
House Manager
Visitor Centre Assistants x4
Wedding & Events Coordinator
Bookings Administrator
Domestic Support x2
Volunteers
The Abbotsford Trust
Candidate Pack
Heritage & Engagement
Assistant
Head Gardener
FR Development Assistant
Volunteers (Guides, Stewards,
Learning)
6
Finance & Admin Assistant
Gardeners x 2
Ranger
Volunteers
Chief Executive (Business Transformation)
November 2014