Wakefield Appoints Jenny Layfield As Its Visitor Champion
27 Jul 2017
The Visitor Champion will play a key role promoting the value and importance of Wakefield’s culture and visitor economy.
It was announced today that Jenny Layfield, General Manager of National Trust property Nostell, has been chosen as the Visitor Champion for Wakefield. This new role has been created following Arts Council England awarding Wakefield a ‘Cultural Destinations’ grant, to celebrate and promote the city as an important national and international cultural destination.
The Visitor Champion will play a key role promoting the value and importance of Wakefield’s culture and visitor economy directly with people in the district, as well as advocating for Wakefield as a cultural destination regionally and nationally. She will chair Wakefield’s Cultural Consortium, made up of 14 representatives of local cultural organisations, visitor attractions and businesses who are committed to working together to deliver the vision of developing Wakefield as a leading cultural and visitor destination.
Belinda Eldridge, Director of Development and Commerce, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (a founding member of the consortium), said: ‘Jenny is the ideal candidate for this role, living and working locally for a number of years. Her background working in the tourism industry in one of the UK’s most recognised organisations, The National Trust, together with her passion for Wakefield means that she has all the necessary skills and drive to achieve great things in the role. I am very much looking forward to working with her and seeing what we can deliver for Wakefield.’
Jenny Layfield said: ‘I am really looking forward to working in partnership with other organisations such as the Wakefield Bondholders and the BID plus representatives from the five towns to make the Wakefield District visitor economy thrive. I believe together we can really project what is great about Wakefield on a national and international stage, attracting further investment, creating new jobs and skills and long term sustainability.’
The Visitor Champion role is a one-year fixed term contract which Jenny will carry out in addition to her role at Nostell.
Photo: Paul C Dunn
“Wakefield is a fantastic city with so much to offer. As a cultural destination it rivals any city in the country outside the capital drawing in significant numbers of people to visit amazing places such as The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Nostell”.
Jenny Layfield – Visitor Champion
