The chief executive of English Heritage, the British conservation charity, has stepped down from his role having only joined at the beginning of 2024.
English Heritage said in a statement that Nick Merriman resigned for personal reasons linked to family health. Geoff Parkin will now step into the role on an interim basis.
Merriman’s reign was not without tension; he oversaw a restructuring of the charity and proposed cutting its workforce of 2,535 employees by 7 percent (189 jobs). The charity said it would aim to avoid redundancies while maintaining a team of more than 75 curators, historians, and conservators. He also planned to slash opening hours across its 400 sites by 10 percent as part of the overhaul. It was agreed that 21 sites would close over winter, including castles and abbeys.
The organisation had reportedly begun to consult with staff and its unions on the proposals as part of a formal consultation period which was not concluded before Merriman’s departure.
The Guardian reported that some staff were “angered by cost cutting under [Merriman’s] watch.”
According to the newspaper, one source said of his departure: “Very good people have been forced out. Of those who’ve survived, nobody seems happy about the results of the restructuring.”
Gerard Lemos, the chair of English Heritage’s trustees, said in an official statement to staff: “I am sorry to say that Nick has requested to step down from his role as chief executive for personal reasons relating to family health. The Board has agreed to his request, which will take place with immediate effect. The Board would like to thank Nick for everything he has done.”
In a statement the charity sent out in January, it said “high inflation has increased the cost of conservation work at our sites, but significant and ongoing expenditure is still required if the condition of the sites in our care is not to deteriorate.” The sites managed by English Heritage include Stone Henge, Hadrian’s Wall, and Dover Castle.
The charity became self-financed two years ago and said it no longer receives regular funding from the UK government’s Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) to preserve the National Heritage Collection of state-owned historic monuments and sites.
Its annual 2023-24 review showed that the charity is operating at a loss, with its income totaling £141.4 million ($191 million), against £155.5 million ($213 million) in expenditure.
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“Like many organisations, we are operating in a challenging environment and the aim of these proposals is to ensure that English Heritage is financially resilient and can fulfil our charitable purposes,” English Heritage said in a statement.