The Old Op appoints a Special Independent Director
Lord Brock Trust appoints a Special Independent Director (SID) as part of Southwark Council’s funded ‘Diversifying Arts Boards – Black on Board’ programme
Recruitment for a new Chair of the Lord Brock Trust to begin, and we say Thank You to our outgoing Chair, Professor Simon Howell
Since November 2021, the Lord Brock Trust, who govern the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, have been participating in Southwark Council’s funded ‘Diversifying Arts Boards Southwark – Black on Board’ programme. The programme is a free board development initiative for Southwark-based arts, culture and heritage organisations, commissioned by Southwark Council as part of the Southwark Stands Together commitment to anti-racist change in the borough. ‘Black on Board’ is an existing programme developed by Olmec, an award-winning social enterprise that specialises in supporting people of colour into governance positions and delivering race equality audits and training.
The programme included Action Learning Sets, anti-racism training and a recruitment process for a ‘Special Independent Director’ (SID). All participating SID’s underwent a series of charity and governance training led by Olmec, before being introduced and matched with arts and heritage organisations.
The programme was enlightening, emotional, galvanizing and extremely timely and pertinent to the museum’s own aims in becoming a more diverse organisation, representative of the culturally rich and ethnically diverse borough of Southwark and of London. As a result of the programme, which continues with a further year of support, we are delighted to announce our new SID, Michelle Williams. Michelle lives in London and works for Southwark Council and is passionate about her local community. She was drawn to the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret through her interest in the use of herbs, both in the past and still today, as well as the health and wellbeing benefits museums can have on individuals and communities alike.
Michelle states of her appointment: “I am delighted for the opportunity to contribute to the Lord Brock Trust board of trustees as part of Southwark Council’s Diversifying Arts Board programme in partnership with Olmec. The LBT has a clear vision and set of values that makes it a desirable organisation to be a part of. I embrace the challenges and learning over the next 12 months. The Olmec Black on Board programme has equipped me with knowledge, understanding of governance and the role of a board member. I believe my personal values and lived experiences will enable me to bring a fresh perspective to the trustee board, to build on their sustained success and I hope to make a positive contribution to the journey.”