The Mint House – Home of Sussex Folklore, Pevensey, are looking for a Freelance Fundraising Lead (2 days/week, £165/day, 7-month contract) to help drive our next phase of fundraising — including an NLHF Phase 2 bid, a major capital application, and community fundraising initiatives.

If you’re a creative, hands-on fundraiser with heritage experience and a passion for doing heritage differently, we’d love to hear from you!

Hybrid (home-based with some time in Pevensey to be discussed at interview)
Start: Dec 2025 / Jan 2026

 Deadline: 10th November 2025

FULL DETAILS

Fundraising Lead (Freelance, Part-Time)

Organisation: The Mint House – Home of Sussex Folklore as part of The Friends of the Mint House, Pevensey
Contract: Freelance, 2 days per week (initial 7-month contract)
Fee: £165 per day
Start date: December 2025 (or January 2026 by negotiation)
Location: Hybrid – home-based with some time on-site in Pevensey, East Sussex
Reports to: Project Manager (with occasional reporting to the Trustees)

About The Mint House, Pevensey

The Mint House is a C16th, Grade II* Listed Building that was originally constructed as an Inn or a building with a similar function for hospitality that then became an Inn.

Internally there are wall paintings and decorative schemes of national importance, particularly as they are within a working context rather than a higher status building.

 The Mint House sits at the heart of historic Pevensey, right next to the Castle and opposite the site of the market and the Manor House.  It became a heritage attraction and antique shop in the early C20th and remained so for over 100 years and is an iconic local landmark. 

The Friends of the Mint House Charity are developing The Mint House – Home of Sussex Folklore: a vibrant new focus for community heritage, folklore, and creativity in the heart of historic Pevensey. The project will conserve and adapt one of Sussex’s most significant Tudor buildings, bringing it back into active use as a space for storytelling, learning, and sharing cultural experiences.

The Friends of the Mint House is a small, new charity (formed 2021) but it punches weigh above its weight and our small staff team are dedicated and passionate about their work.

We are entering a critical phase as we prepare our National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) Phase 2 bid and pursue complementary capital and community funding to realise this ambitious vision.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Fundraising Lead to help drive forward the next stage of our fundraising strategy. Working closely with the Project Manager and Trustees, you will focus on preparing and supporting the NLHF Phase 2 submission and another major capital bid, while also helping to manage and develop community and local authority funding streams.

This is a key freelance role for a skilled fundraiser who enjoys building partnerships, writing compelling cases for support, and helping small charities grow capacity and impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate fundraising activities to support delivery of The Mint House project plan, with a focus on the NLHF Phase 2 bid and a second large capital bid.

• Support the management of the Wealden District Council CLIF Fund, including reporting, compliance, and evaluation support.

• Research, identify, and apply to additional grant and trust opportunities for both capital and activity funding.

• Develop and maintain relationships with potential individual and corporate donors, local businesses, and community partners.

• Contribute to the design and delivery of community fundraising initiatives and events to build local engagement and donor networks.

• Support the Project Manager in tracking fundraising progress and budgets, providing clear updates and reports for the Trustees.

• Help shape a sustainable fundraising and donor development strategy for The Mint House beyond the current project phase.

Person Specification

Essential

• Proven experience of successful fundraising for heritage, culture, or community projects, ideally including NLHF or other major public funders.

• Excellent bid writing skills with strong attention to detail and evidence-led storytelling.

• Understanding of heritage capital and activity funding structures.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines within a small, evolving organisation.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to engage funders, partners, and local stakeholders.

• Self-motivated and organised, able to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team culture.

Desirable

• Experience working with or within charitable heritage trusts or early-stage projects.

• Knowledge of Sussex’s heritage and community landscape.

• Experience with fundraising events and donor cultivation.

• Familiarity with basic charity governance, monitoring, and reporting processes.

Contract Details

• Freelance appointment for 7 months

• 2 days per week (flexible working pattern)

• Day rate: £165

• Hybrid working (home-based, with visits to Pevensey and team meetings as required)

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV and a short covering letter (no more than 2 pages) outlining your relevant experience and approach to:
jo.seaman@minthousepevensey.co.uk
Deadline: 10th November 2025 6pm GMT

Interviews will be held in Pevensey (preferably) or via Zoom shortly thereafter.

Walls That Talk: Rare Historic Paintings Discovered at The Mint House

The Mint House has always whispered of the past—but now, thanks to a recent conservation survey by leading wall paintings specialist Andrea Kirkham (generously funded by the Pilgrim Trust), those whispers are becoming vivid stories.

Hidden beneath layers of paint and plaster, Andrea has uncovered further traces of rare 16th- and 17th-century wall paintings—some astonishingly well-preserved. The findings reveal a previously unseen richness of interior decoration, ranging from boldly coloured, exuberant patterns to refined, understated schemes not previously recorded in Sussex. It’s a tantalising glimpse into the aesthetics of Tudor and Stuart-era hospitality—an early form of ‘pub décor’ with surprising sophistication.

Even more evocative are the naïve, graffiti-like sketches revealed: a ship painted on the plaster, fragmentary lettering, and the outline of a figure clad in doublet and hose. These intimate, informal images offer a rare and raw perspective into how these rooms were once used, inhabited, and imagined by the people who passed through them.

These discoveries deepen our understanding of The Mint House’s layered past—and mark an exciting new chapter in our journey to uncover its secrets.

Stay tuned: who knows what else lies beneath the surface?