Haslemere Museum has announced the appointment of a new chairman of the board of trustees following the retirement of Alan Perry on January 6.

Mr Perry stepped down after 18 years’ service and two appointments as chairman, and at the same virtual meeting, his replacement as chair was confirmed as Christopher Boobyer BSc (Hons).

Chris has held senior positions at Barclays Bank in the UK and latterly was senior partner and led the European team of a global consultancy specialising in leasing and asset finance.

He retired from that role in 2019.

Married with two daughters, Chris and his family have lived in Haslemere for more than 30 years.

An active member of many local organisations, and a trustee of the Fernhurst Centre, which has just been recognised through the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, Chris was co-opted on to the museum’s board of trustees in January 2020.

In the following months he ably assisted with the many unprecedented issues faced during the coronavirus pandemic as a member of the crisis management committee.

He was introduced to members at the online annual general meeting on October 1, 2020, when he formally joined the board.

Of taking on this new position, Chris said: “I have been overwhelmed by the commitment of trustees, volunteers and staff at the museum, who have been faced with some of the most unusual and complex situations in the past ten months.

“I am honoured to take on this vital role of chairman of the board and am excited to lead the team into a new era for the organisation.”

With future planning a priority, and in a bid to recognise certain individuals who have made a significant contribution to the museum, and have the capability to continue to do so, the trustees have created a new role of honorary vice-president (HVP).

The prime responsibility of the role is to raise the profile of the museum and its work with any other body that may contribute financial or other support to pursue the objectives of the museum.

The new honorary vice-presidents are ex-trustees Christopher Ashton-Jones and Sarah Bain BEM.

Both Christopher and Sarah work tirelessly in the community in various roles and are advocates for the museum in all they do.

Haslemere Museum is an independent charity, which relies solely on donations, bequests and membership fees and so the role of garnering support both in kind and in financial terms is fundamental. The roles of trustee, board member and honorary vice-president are all voluntary.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the museum can email [email protected] or call 01428 642112.