The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has vacancies for chairs and committee members to decide on funding for the heritage that is so loved by local people and visitors alike throughout the East of England, the South East and the South West, the West Midlands, the North West and in Scotland.

Successful candidates would join fellow decision makers from a range of backgrounds and help to open up our heritage for everyone to enjoy. Each region and country has a vibrant heritage - from its museums, collections, parks and landscapes, to cultural histories and community memories – and HLF supports projects of every kind.

The committees are made up of leading figures, some of whom have professional expertise in heritage, others come from the community or voluntary sector, or have experience in economic regeneration, tourism, education or commerce.

“We are looking for people who appreciate their local heritage and care about promoting understanding and enjoyment of what there is to see, experience  and learn about,” says Eilish McGuinness, HLF’s Deputy Director of Operations. “HLF’s Committee Chairs and members are the local people deciding where to invest money raised by National Lottery players. They also play an important role as advocates for heritage in their local area.”

HLF funding has supported a vast array of projects over the past 21 years, investing over £6.6billion across the UK. Recent highlights awarded by the regional committees include restoring HMS M.33, the only surviving warship from the First World War’s Gallipoli campaign (South East); helping Salisbury Cathedral to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta (South West); providing a permanent home for the Staffordshire Hoard (West Midlands); purchasing land to complete the protection of Cley Marshes and its myriad bird species (East of England); and bringing a disused canal wharf in Burnley’s Weavers Triangle back to life (North West).

Anyone wishing to be considered for the positions should contact the appropriate head of region (see below).

Please email decisionmakers@hlf.org.uk if you have a query and would like to speak to someone about the recruitment process.

We welcome applications from people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, disabled people and young individuals who are currently less well represented across our committees. 

Notes to editors 

The HLF’s regional and country committees total 12 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each one meets four times a year. Chairs and members are normally appointed for three years in the first instance with the potential for a second term. The Committee is responsible for investing National Lottery Players’ money in projects ranging from £100,000 to £2million. They are assisted by the region’s staff of professional officers whose role it is to provide detailed or specialist advice, upon which the committee bases its decisions.

To hear committee members talk about their role visit Board and committee recruitment page. Application materials are available on our Committee vacancies page.

If interested in the positions please contact the following:

• East of England, Committee Chair and Member. Robyn Llewellyn, on tel: 01223 224873, email: RobynL@hlf.org.uk
• South East England, Committee Chair and Member: Stuart McLeod, on tel: 020 7591 6171, email: StuartM@hlf.org.uk
• South West, Committee Chair and Member: Nerys Watts, on tel: 01392 223 950, email NerysW@hlf.org.uk
• West Midlands, Committee Chair: Vanessa Harbar, on tel: 0115 934 9054, email:vharbar@hlf.org.uk
• North West, Committee Member: Sara Hilton, tel: 0161 200 8470, email: Shilton@hlf.org.uk
• Scotland, three Committee Member vacancies,: Colin McLean, tel:colinm@hlf.org.uk

Thanks to National Lottery players, HLF invests money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. @heritagelottery.