The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has extended the second term of Helen Birchenough by 9 months, from 5 December 2026 to 4 September 2027
Helen Birchenough
Helen has been involved in the arts and education in Wiltshire for 20 years. She was Chair of both the Salisbury Playhouse and Salisbury International Arts Festival, leading the Festival's merger with the theatre and Salisbury Arts Centre to form the new pan-arts organisation, Wiltshire Creative. Helen sits on the Arts Advisory Panel for Salisbury Cathedral and is a Trustee of Wiltshire Creative.
She was Chair of Wiltshire College for five years, leading the College through a period of transformational change. Helen has also chaired the education panel at Wiltshire Community Foundation, giving grants to young people to access educational resources, services and bursaries to those who could not otherwise go to university.
Helen is a Deputy Lieutenant in Wiltshire.
Helen sits on the Arts Council England's Performance and Audit Committee and Remuneration Committee.
Remuneration and Governance Code
The Arts Council England South West Area Chair is remunerated at £7,525 per annum.
This extension has been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments . This appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments .
Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.
Helen Birchenough has declared no such political activity.
Notes
DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.
