Governance Bodies

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums is governed by a Strategic Board which comprises between 6 and 11 members. Each Council in Tyneside provides one member from amongst its elected members, Newcastle University appoints one member, each year two different councils appoint one additional member each and there are up to four additional members who are independent appointments.

The Strategic Board meets a minimum of four times a year and the annual meeting is in June. The Chair is appointed for a term of three years and is an independent appointee. The vice-chair is appointed annually from amongst the elected members.

The Strategic Board was created to enable Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums (“TWAM”) to explore new ways of working and engage with a wider sector; and to ensure a sustainable, resilient and positive future for TWAM, particularly in light of significant reduction in public sector funding.

The Strategic Board’s key objective is to administer, maintain and develop TWAM.

More specifically, the Strategic Board is responsible for:

• developing a strategic focus to drive growth;
• providing scrutiny and leadership, democratic accountability, and enterprise support and challenge to TWAM and its executive team;
• overseeing the overall governance and strategic leadership of TWAM in accordance with TWAM’s mission and objectives;
• ensuring TWAM’s continuing financial viability and long term sustainability including by supporting TWAM to take advantage of new opportunities (notably in relation to generating income from commercial and philanthropic sources);
• ensuring TWAM is making effective use of its assets, services and resources to support its museum and archive activities;
• ensuring TWAM is delivering against Constituent Council and University priorities; and
• ensuring TWAM is recognising the diversity and meeting the needs of its users and communities.

The 2024/25 membership is as follows:

Chair: Chris Mullin

Vice Chair: Cllr Angela Douglas and Cllr Julie Cruddas

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Strategic Board reports and minutes can be downloaded from the Newcastle City Council website.

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Strategic Board Terms of Reference.

The Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Finance, Audit and Risk Committee is independent from the Strategic Board. It was established in 2006 and provides independent assurance on the adequacy of the risk management framework and the associated governance and control environment, independent scrutiny of TWAM's financial and non-financial performance to the extent that it affects the TWAM's exposure to risk and weakens the control environment, and oversees the financial reporting process.

The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee has an independent chair and vice-chair, who were appointed following the publication of a statutory notice. The appointment is for a four year period, with the option to renew for a further four years. The scope of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee's work is defined in its Terms of Reference and encompasses all the assurance needs of the Strategic Board and the Director.

The 2024/25 membership is as follows:

Chair: Richard Gregory

Vice-Chair: Laura Donelly

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Finance, Audit and Risk Committee reports and meeting minutes can be downloaded from the Newcastle City Council website.