Marianne takes on new role at Shrewsbury's Flaxmill Maltings
A woman from the Netherlands and who has worked in heritage in the north west of England has moved to Shrewsbury to take up a new role at the town's historic Flaxmill.
Marianne Blaauboer has been appointed manager of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings.
She was successful against a strong field of candidates and has now taken up the post and will report to the board on all aspects of the Friends responsibilities, including community engagement, visitor experience, the interpretation centre, café, education and learning, talks and tours, research.
She will join the steering group which also comprises Historic England and Shropshire Council.
Marianne said: “I am delighted to take up the position of manager of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, and I am looking forward to working with our volunteers and all stakeholders involved on such a fascinating and exciting project.
Iconic
"As the restoration work progresses and the site slowly emerges from its scaffolding, it is clear it will become a jewel in the crown of Shrewsbury when it will open for business in 2021. In the meantime, we are going to be working together with Historic England and the local community to create a great visitor experience based on these iconic, internationally important buildings and on the stories of the people who were part of its history.”
Alan Mosley, chair of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, said: “The appointment of Marianne is a great landmark in our project, made possible by the Friends receiving funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
"Marianne is an experienced and resourceful manager who has great enthusiasm for our heritage. Alongside our current co-ordinator, Richard Benjamin, we have a very strong team, with an active, committed and growing group of volunteers, to take us through the final phase of refurbishment and the full opening of a wonderful asset for all.”
Marianne read history at Utrecht University and has worked in heritage in both her native Netherlands and in England. She has managed the national dredging museum in the Netherlands and worked for both the National Trust and English Heritage. In recent years she has delivered a National Heritage Lottery Fund project in the North West.
She has now moved to live in Shrewsbury to take up her position with the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings
