WATER SUPPLY MUSEUM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Collections Committee
Ben is Curator of Mechanical Engineering at the Science Museum, London. He has curated five permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions at the museum, including Robots (2017) and James Watt's Workshop (2011), as well as Cosmonauts (2015). He is the author of James Watt: Making the World Anew, (Reaktion Books, 2014), and editor of Robots (Scala, 2017). Ben joined the trustees in 2019, bringing his expertise and experience of working with a number of UK museums to support the management of the Museum's collection.
Job Titles:
- Agent
- Co - Chair and Chair of the Compliance Committee
Clare is a literary agent and freelance publisher following a career working in, and directing, publishing companies of all types and sizes. She also provides fellow publishers with management and leadership support as co-founder of the training organisation, Management in Publishing. This has stood her in good stead as a non-executive and advisor for both businesses and not-for-profits: she is also an Advisory Board Member at the University of Wales Press and a trustee of the Montgomeryshire Literary Festival. She was a trustee at the Museum from 2014-2017 and, after a stint as Interim Director, re-joined the board in 2018.
Ed is a business development, fundraising and project management professional with experience in both charity and commercial sectors. Ed ran the Giving to Heritage programme at the Institute of Fundraising delivering high-impact fundraising training and development to independent heritage organisations across England. He is currently supporting charity Parks for London transition into a Centre for Excellence for London's parks and green spaces. Ed has volunteered at the Museum since 2013, and as well as being Co-Chair provides fundraising and income generation guidance and support.
Emma joined the Museum in April 2021. She can often be found creating fun activities for families, organising unforgettable school visits, or chatting to our visitors. She's also the person behind our social media and website. Emma is passionate about learning in museums and volunteers for the Heritage Education Trust as a Sandford Award Assessor. When she's not at the Museum, Emma's often off on adventures with her son or her Scouts and Explorers!
Fabio is an Associate Director at Skelly & Couch, a Building Services Design Engineering Practice that champions the Sustainability and the Zero Carbon Agenda in the Building Environment.
Over the years he has been contributing into the redevelopment of Victorian Grade II-listed The Farmiloe Building in Clerkenwell and of Grade I-listed The British Academy. For the new build projects of New College in Oxford and Emmanuel College in Cambridge Fabio designed energy centres with ground source heat pumps that contribute towards the reduction of the present carbon emissions. He also worked on the Special Exhibitions Gallery project for the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.
He is joining the Board of Trustees with the idea of setting out a vision and a programme for the Museum's Sustainability and its related Zero Carbon Transition.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Income Committee
- Tax Adviser at Chartered Accountants
Freddie is a tax adviser at Chartered Accountants, Warrener Stewart. He has been a volunteer engine driver at the museum since 2013 and joined the board in 2019. As treasurer and company secretary, he is responsible for overseeing the Museum's financial management, systems and processes and compliance with HMRC, Companies House, and the Charity Commission.
Gemma joined the Museum in August 2018 and has loved getting to know our neighbours and visitors, as well as making new friends in the local community. She ran the schools, family and community programmes until spring 2021 when she went on maternity leave and left them in Emma's wonderfully capable hands. She now primarily oversees community engagement and loves nothing more than enthusiastically welcoming new people through the doors.
Georgie is an archivist and currently works as Sector Development Manager for London and business archives at The National Archives, supporting a wide range of archives. She previously worked as an archivist at De La Rue, having volunteered and worked in a number of museums big and small.
Job Titles:
- Head of Learning & Engagement
Heather is the Head of Learning & Engagement at The Lightbox, Museum and Gallery; where she has been for the past ten years, working with and for communities. She has a specialism in working with people living with dementia and those who are socially isolated, alongside working with children and families to enjoy learning through play. Heather has also been an Education Consultant and mentors emerging and mid-career professionals in the museums sector. Previously she has been a trustee of a disability arts centre and worked in theatres and events management giving her a wealth of experience in heritage and the arts.
Joanna is our fantastic Front of House Coordinator. She looks after the duty manager team, the visitor welcome volunteers, and the Museum shop. Outside of the Museum, she can often be found at the cinema or playing badminton.
Job Titles:
- Engines Trust
- Engines Trust Articles of Association September 2020
Liz has been Director of LMWS since October 2018, where she looks after the strategic direction of the Museum, fundraising, managing the team and the all-important budgets, but she can be easily distracted to play with bubbles and chat to all our visitors and community members. Away from the Museum, she looks after her three children, chairs a Young Peoples Charity, tries to run, and plays the baritone horn badly!
Job Titles:
- Collections Coordinator
- Freelance Project Manager at the Museum
Melissa has been a freelance project manager at the Museum since October 2020 and has joined the team part time as the Collections Coordinator. Easily distracted by sharing stories from the collections she'll usually be found somewhere (not the archives) with a coffee in hand. Outside of the museum, when not reading or spending time with friends and family, she runs her own consultancy company, co-ordinates the Group for Education in Museums One to One programme and volunteers for the Heritage Education Trust as a Sandford Award Assessor.
Peter has been visiting the London Museum of Water & Steam for several years with his family. He joined the team as a Duty Manager in September 2021 and in July 2022 took on the additional role as our Site Coordinator. Outside of the Museum, Peter is a dad of three daughters, works as a social media manager & plays the guitar.
Peter works in the area of transport logistics. He was employed by DHL as a development and training advisor and author of bespoke specialist manuals and documentation. He also represented his fellow workers as a Senior Shop Steward for Unite the Union at a number of locations within the Greater London area. Peter has been an active Museum volunteer since 2011 and a trustee since 2014. He supports and advises the Museum on people issues and employee relations.
Susie is a museums and heritage professional with broad experience in learning and engagement, visitor experience, collections, marketing and retail. At Gunnersbury Park Museum she led the recent transformation of the museum displays and programmes.
Susie was Head of Education for Historic Royal Palaces from 2002 to 2013, leading the transformation of the service at the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace - and development of inspiring programmes for schools, families and adult learners reaching over 300,000 learners each year. She has also worked at Watts Gallery and the National Trust, as a freelance consultant and as a primary teacher.
Susie is particularly interested in arts based approaches to learning through built heritage and museum collections, and in the preservation and development of traditional craft skills. She enjoys gardening and textile crafts in her spare time.