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About

The Palm House

THE JEWEL IN LIVERPOOL'S SEFTON PARK

Sefton Park’s ‘Great Conservatory’ was a gift to the city of Liverpool by local benefactor Henry Yates Thompson. When it first opened to the public in 1896 it quickly became a popular visitor attraction.

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© Peter Hughes Photography

People who had never set foot outside of Liverpool could stroll under its glass domes and marvel at exotic plants from far-away lands. Some of those plants are still thriving here today despite the Palm House falling into a state of dereliction in the 1990s.

After a public campaign and multi-million pound restoration, this Grade 2* listed building re-opened its doors to visitors in 2001 and has since enjoyed a new lease of life as a lively arts and cultural venue.

 

 

The trust

Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust is a registered charity established in 1996. Trustees are local residents who oversee the development and management of the Palm House as a heritage visitor attraction and cultural events centre. The building is owned and maintained by Liverpool City Council.

The Trust employs a team of staff and is supported in its work by volunteers and casual event assistants. By generating income from heritage grants, private hire, events and donations we are able to keep the Palm House open for everyone to enjoy and to fund our programme of free community events.

 

Trustees

David Ellis

Interim Chair

David currently works in fundraising and development for Right to Succeed, a charity that supports communities in areas of high deprivation through place-based change approaches to give children and young people the best start in life.

David has over 25 years’ experience of working in the voluntary and community sector in roles focused on strategy, fundraising, business development, communications and project delivery. David is the Deputy Chair and is committed to ensuring that the Sefton Park Palm House retains its unique appeal as both heritage and botanical venue and a special space for visitors and the community to relish and be enchanted.

Charlotte Smith

Trustee

Charlotte Smith has over 20 years' experience working in the cultural attractions sector, across a variety of community focused, commercial and leadership roles. She is currently Director of Conservation Education at Chester Zoo, where she is responsible for leading the development of education and engagement programmes at the zoo, across the North West and internationally.

She is passionate about the role of cultural organisations, particularly those with a nature focus, in supporting people's wellbeing and is interested in all aspects of sustainability. She is excited to be joining the board and supporting the Palm House to build on its existing successes into the future.

Natalie Dickson

Trustee

Natalie is a solicitor and a partner at Brabners LLP specialising in family law. She is a trustee of the Brabners Foundation which is a grant making charity that strives to alleviate hardship in the community. Natalie is also an active fundraiser for Marie Curie and is on the Board of the Liverpool Sportswoman’s Lunch.

Natalie is a member of Resolution and her previous roles include former board member and Secretary of Merseyside Young Professionals and committee member of both Merseyside Women’s Lawyers Division and Liverpool Ladies Network.

Natalie lives in South Liverpool with her husband and two Labradors, Buster and Red and enjoys cooking, reading and travelling as far and wide as possible in her spare time. Being Liverpool born and bred she has always been conscious of what a special and important place the Palm House is, and she is delighted to be a trustee to help shape its future for the benefit of the community and generations to come.

Pam Wilsher

Trustee

Pam is a former Head of Visitor Economy Development at the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and has spent the majority of her career working in tourism in Liverpool. She has played a key role in many of the city’s major tourism initiatives over the past 30 years, from the International Garden Festival in the 1980s to Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Pam first came to Liverpool in the late 1970s for a short-term role helping to shape the visitor experience at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. She quickly fell in love with the city and chose to make it her permanent home. Her passion lies in heritage and culture, particularly in finding imaginative new uses for historic buildings. She currently serves as Secretary of the Merseyside Civic Society.

Pam is a long-standing admirer of the Palm House and considers it a privilege to serve on the Board, helping to guide it towards an even more successful future.

Kate Rodenhurst

Trustee

Kate Rodenhurst MA FRSA is a consultant. She works with arts and heritage organisations across the UK to support them with strategic planning, fundraising and evaluation. After starting her career as a parliamentary researcher, she worked at National Museums Liverpool, where she developed community engagement programmes and projects across the city.

She was part of the research team which evaluated Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Kate is a Director of The RED Archive CIC. She has always loved the Palm House, although she struggles to keep her own house plants alive.

Emlyn Wright

Trustee

Emlyn Wright is a senior education professional with over 20 years of leadership experience across the education sector, including headship, system leadership, and national advisory roles. He currently works within Children’s Services for a Local Authority in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is seconded part-time to the Department for Education as a Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence (RISE) Adviser.

Emlyn serves as a Trustee of the Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust, where he brings strategic insight and a strong commitment to the educational and community value of heritage spaces. He has a particular interest in the Palm House’s historic botanic collection and its potential to support learning, wellbeing, and environmental awareness. Emlyn is passionate about ensuring that the Palm House continues to thrive as a unique cultural asset for the people of Liverpool and beyond.

Emlyn also sits as a Trustee at St George’s Hall Charitable Trust.

Donna Young

Trustee

Having moved to Liverpool nearly 40 years ago, Donna feels honoured to be called an ‘adopted Scouser’ and her life is embedded in its culture – through her work, neighbourhood, family, friends, and football (a Red!). Living locally and being a lifelong advocate for nature-connectiveness, she values our urban parks as her ‘doorstep greenspace’.

With over 30 years’ experience caring for and curating the botany collections of National Museums Liverpool, she’s passionate about raising awareness of and celebrating our city’s botanical heritage. She understands the challenges faced in preserving the Palm House and its living collections, whilst making them both accessible to all and sustainable.

Rooting for People, Plants and Place, Donna considers it a privilege, as a Trustee to support the delivery of these goals and the valuable role the Palm House plays within our community.

Julie Vincent

Trustee

Julie is an experienced Company Secretary with a proven track record in the delivery of robust governance frameworks spanning not for profit, commercial and charitable sectors.

With more than 25 years working in the housing sector, Julie is currently the Company Secretary for a leading housing and regeneration organisation and as such has seen first hand the positive impact a socially driven organisation can have on the lives of individuals and communities.

Julie is very proud to be part of the Palm House, supporting the team committed to preserving the iconic building, its beautiful botanical collection and improving the wellbeing of local residents.

Mark Johnson

Trustee

Mark is a Health & Safety professional with over 22 years of experience in Security, Operations, Facilities Management, and Health & Safety. Based in the Liverpool City Region, he has worked in the heritage and cultural sector, including a role at National Museums Liverpool. He is involved in matchday operations at both Liverpool and Everton football clubs and serves on the IOSH Merseyside Community committee as a communications coordinator.

A strong advocate for health and wellbeing, Mark is often active in Sefton Park and visits Sefton Palm House regularly with his family. He lives in South Liverpool and is highly engaged in the local community. Mark is delighted to be part of the Sefton Palm House Perseveration Trust providing strategic influence, input and support to safeguard, protect and preserve this wonderful iconic Palm House for the local community and beyond.

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Registered Office:

Sefton Park Palm House
Preservation Trust,
Sefton Park Palm House,
Sefton Park, Liverpool
L17 1AP

Charity registration number:

1059957

Company Limited by Guarantee registration number:

327 2897

Our team

Kate Johnson

CEO
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Kate Martinez

Head of Communities & Visitors
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Sandra Marshall

Head of Commercial Income
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Rebecca Woodham

Head of Operations & Catering
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Naomi McAllister

Marketing & Community Manager
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Casey Burgess

Visitor Experience
Manager
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Colette Roberts

Finance
Manager
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Nonsi Martins

Executive
Assistant
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Charlotte Manning

Food and Beverage Supervisor

Louise Reynolds

Community Events Supervisor

Ann Mccormack

Welcome Host Team

Paula Wynn

Cafe Team

Gabrielle Cleverley

Cafe Team
Manihot

Ruchira Rananaware

Business Support Assistant
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Alison Berry

Welcome Host Team

Donna Short

Cafe Team

Neil Shakeshaft

Presentation Team

Partners

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Awards & achievements

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