How we work, and what we aim to achieve
The Brontë Society was established in 1893 and opened its first museum in 1895. It is a company limited by guarantee (number 73855), having been incorporated in 1902 and is registered as a charity (number 529952). The liability of the Members in the event of the Society being wound up is limited to a sum not exceeding £1 each. Membership is open to all. Holders of all categories of membership including Brontë Friend, Brontë Champion and Young Brontë Friend are full members of the Society and hold full voting/membership rights. The number of members varies from time to time and currently stands at around 1600.
To see our Articles of Association, access the download by clicking on the downloads menu, left.
Registered office: Brontë Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 8DR
The governing body of the Brontë Society is a board of directors of the company who are also trustees of the charity. There is provision for the appointment to the governing body of a maximum of twelve trustees. The day-to-day running of the Brontë Parsonage Museum, in accordance with agreed budgets, is delegated to the Director and Senior Leadership Team. The decisions of the Board may be reviewed by the Society in the General Meeting.
Trustee vacancies are openly advertised and the Nominations Committee (a sub committee of the Board) reviews all trustee applications in line with identifed skills gaps. Any person not disqualified for legal reasons from acting as a company director or charity trustee, who is a member of the Brontë Society at the date of their appointment or election is eligible to stand as a trustee.
All new trustees are required to attend an induction training session and are expected to undertake appropriate training during their period of office.
Current Board of Trustees
Shahidha Bari
Laura Beare
Ciara Gallagher
Jonathan Gration
Penelope Jenkins
Helen Meller (Vice Chair)
Andrew Midgley (Chair of Finance, Risk & Audit Committee)
Lucy Powrie
Valerie Sanders (Secretary)
Julian Sladdin (Chair)
Jane Sellars MBE is an Advisor to the Board (Museums)
Deborah Carter is an Advisor to the Board (HR)
You can read more about our trustees here.
President: Dame Judi Dench
Vice Presidents: Dr Patsy Stoneman; Audrey Hall
Objectives and aims
The Brontë Society was formed In December 1893 for the purpose of promoting interest in the Brontë family of Haworth and their works. From the beginning the Society sought to acquire and preserve manuscripts and artefacts, and from April 1895 the Society opened its first Museum in Haworth. In 1928, Haworth Parsonage was gifted to The Brontë Society, which has run the Brontë Parsonage Museum since then. The charitable objects of the Society are:
1. to promote interest in the life and works of the Brontë family by establishing and maintaining permanent museums, galleries and libraries for the public benefit;
2. to acquire by donation, purchase, or otherwise, and to renovate and preserve artefacts, books, pamphlets, manuscripts, engravings, paintings, drawings, photographs, clothing, furniture and objects of or relating to the Brontë family, for the public benefit;
3. to provide for the examination of the literary remains of the Brontë family for further scholarship and better understanding of their lives and works and publication of their memoirs for public benefit
4. to promote the advancement of literature and the arts and to initiate projects that deepen literary engagement locally, nationally and throughout the world and which are rendered interesting by their association with the Brontë family, for the public benefit.
5. to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects
Our vision is: To bring the Brontës to the world and the world to Yorkshire
Our mission is: To celebrate the lives and works of the Brontës, and their contemporary significance to a global audience. We will seek to grow Society membership and audiences and preserve and care for the Brontë Parsonage Museum. We will conserve, interpret, display, expand and promote creative engagement with our world-class collections and the landscape that inspired the Brontës .