CEO of pay dispute hit museums charity to step down

Hedley Swain, the chief executive of Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust in Brighton is to step down next month.

He is to leave the charity after six years as CEO to relocate to Sweden with his wife, who has secured a senior role at a museum at Stockholm.

Under his leadership this year the charity has been embroiled in a long running dispute with workers over proposed changes to pay.

In April members of the union UNISON voted in favour of strike action and in the same month members of the GMB union at the charity picketed outside the Royal Pavilion.

A further GMB picket and strike action took place in June, during which time UNISON members declined to cover the work of striking workers.

The next month the unions confirmed that its members at the charity had voted to accept a revised pay offer.

UNISON's South East regional secretary Jo Galloway, said at the time: "After months of uncertainty, staff can finally put the dispute behind them and get back to protecting the city's heritage."

The Trust said that during Swain’s time at the charity he had guided it “through a pivotal period of transformational change”.

Swain was appointed at the then newly created charity in 2020 as it took over museum services from Brighton & Hove Council.

He had previously been Area Director South East at Arts Council England and National Director of Museums at the Arts Council.

“I wish the Trust every success on its ongoing journey and look forward to watching its progress,” said Swain.

The charity’s chair Michael Bedingfield added: “He leaves the organisation in a strong position for the future, and we wish him and his wife every success as they begin this exciting new chapter in Sweden.”

Current deputy chief executive Abigail Thomas will take over as interim CEO at the end of October while the charity looks for a permanent replacement for Swain.

The trust oversees five museums in the south coast of England city, the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Preston Manor & Gardens, the Booth Museum of Natural History, and Hove Museum of Creativity.