Dronfield Heritage Trust: Thank you, Maria!

Dronfield Heritage Trust: Thank you, Maria!

Saying a fond farewell to our Activities and Interpretations Manager...

As some of you may have already heard, we’re sad to announce that our long-time Activities and Interpretations Manager, Maria Smith, is leaving the Dronfield Heritage Trust this week after seven highly successful years.

Since taking on the role in 2014, the Barn has gone from strength to strength. Maria has overseen countless exhibitions and events – including our successful Medieval and Arts Festivals – and will be a familiar figure to anyone who has visited, volunteered or worked with us since the Barn opened in early 2016.

More lately, Maria has also played a crucial role in securing vital funding, including the Cultural Recovery Fund last autumn, which has allowed us to continue planning for the coming months with more confidence.

“Over the past seven years, Maria’s drive and passion for the project has been incredible”,  Alan Powell, Dronfield Heritage Trust chairman, said: “We feel very lucky to have had someone like Maria right from the very beginning before the Barn officially opened, through our first few years as we faced the sizeable challenge of becoming self-sufficient, and then all the unexpected difficulties of the past 12 months. Throughout it all, Maria has always been a source of positivity and a real pleasure to work with.”

For our large team of volunteers, Maria is someone who many of us are lucky enough to be able to call a friend, and we’ve shared lots of laughs (and occasionally tears) over the years. So, what better excuse to share some of our favourite memories of the past few years with you? Although she might not thank us for some of these…

                                         
All of us would like to wish Maria the very best of luck at her new job at Marisa Peer – you will be missed, but we hope to see you back at the Barn for a catch up over a cup of your favourite builder's tea and a slice of cake again very soon!

                

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