Sustainable Heritage Master Plan
We are delighted to announce that First Church has been awarded £150,000 by The National Lottery Heritage Fund NI to develop a Sustainable Heritage Master Plan for our Church.
Founded in 1644, our congregation is the oldest continuously meeting faith community in Belfast. Our distinctive oval Meeting House, completed in 1783, has been a home for the city's radical, dissenting and liberal traditions, and was at the heart of the non-subscription controversy that shaped Irish Presbyterianism and gave rise to the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church. Today our Grade A listed building is one of Belfast's most significant historic places.
Over the next fifteen months, this project will help us plan for its long-term care and conservation, improve accessibility, and listen to our neighbours, partners, and visitors who share in its story, so this building's heritage is preserved and can continue to serve the life of the city for generations to come.
Thank you to National Lottery players, whose support makes this possible, and to everyone who has supported this work.
Invitation to Tender - Project Manager
We are now inviting tenders for a Project Manager to lead the development of the Master Plan.
Purpose
We require a skilled Project Manager with extensive experience in managing heritage, conservation-focused master-planning projects to work alongside the Project’s Steering Group and appointed Master Planning Team, to be responsible for the development of a long-term Master Plan to protect and sustain the heritage of First Church Belfast.
Scope of work
The Project Manager will be responsible for the overall coordination of day-to-day operations and activities, manage resources and ensure the emerging master plan is evidence based, community-informed and aligned with Heritage Fund best practice guidelines and contract requirements. Acting as the client representative throughout delivery, the role is expected to require 2–3 days per week, with flexibility over the life of the project.
Specifically duties will include:
To manage and coordinate the day-to-day operations of all project work-streams, working alongside the Project Steering Group and appointed Master Planning Team ensuring the project is delivered in compliance with all legal, financial and contractual requirements.
To ensure the project plan and associated risk register is up to date and that project milestones and deliverables are met on time and within budget, assisting the Project Steering Group to review the timetable, milestones, budget and risks.
To manage and monitor the project budget, liaising with First Church’s administrator, and to ensure all procurement processes are in line with the Heritage Fund’s guidelines.
To manage the competitive tendering processes to appoint (1) the Master Planning Team and (2) Evaluation Consultant and bring recommendations to the Project Steering Group.
To work closely with the appointed Master Planning Team to ensure the master plan is developed in line with the project’s specification, time-frame and budget.
To work with the appointed Evaluation Consultant to ensure the design and delivery of the project evaluation meets the requirements of the Heritage Fund, bringing recommendations and updates to the Project Steering Group as necessary, and ensuring the evaluation report is completed in a timely fashion.
To support the Project Steering Group, attending monthly meetings, preparing updates, briefing papers and recommendations as required.
To be the main operational point of contact and provide reports to the Heritage Fund, including progress reports, claims and any other documentation the Project Steering Group and contract requires.
To maintain all project documentation including a clear audit-trail for decision making and project spend.
To work with First Church’s volunteers and staff to support the provision of regular updates about the project to key stakeholders and the general public.
Assist the Master Planning Team in the development of learning visits to relevant heritage projects in Northern Ireland.
To assist the Project Steering Group to arrange a launch of the final master plan.
To undertake and perform any other duties stipulated by the Project Steering Group in connection with the safe, effective and efficient performance of the Project Manager function.
Contract Management
The total budget for the Project Manager services is £30,000 including VAT. The contract is anticipated to start on Monday 04 January 2027 and end in February 2028.
Full details and how to apply: