Hilary joined the board of NWFED in 2021 with almost twenty five years’ experience in the sector.
As a fundraiser, marketer and strategic leader in the cultural and heritage sector, Hilary has raised millions of pounds for capital, revenue and project work from the National Lottery, Arts Council England, trusts & foundations, individual giving, legacies, and Friends/membership campaigns. She is now a freelance fundraising and strategic management consultant. Recent heritage projects have included an individual giving review and capital trust and foundation strategy for the People’s History Museum, and successful trust applications for Blackpool Showtown (through Impact Fundraising). She is also an associate consultant with Counterculture and Emsy Fundraising.
Hilary was previously a senior manager at the Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library in Preston, Lancashire, including leading fundraising for a £10m capital refurbishment, managing strategic marketing, and contributing to major organisational change, including as Interim Harris Manager. She also supported members of Preston Museums Group with a range of fundraising challenges.
Hilary has a Professional Postgraduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. She also sits on the board of Ludus Dance.
Her degree was in Theatre Studies and English Literature (Lancaster University).
Hilary says: “I was delighted to join the board of NWFED, having benefitted from their training and networking opportunities over many years, and at a very exciting time as museums face the challenges of Covid and post-Covid. As a team, the board are determined to support museum people across the region and develop an unmissable programme which responds to the needs of staff and volunteers at all levels and in all types of museum roles.”