EASTBOURNE.- Stephen Welton CBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of Towner Eastbourne following David Dimbleby’s retirement as Chair after ten years.

Stephen is currently Chair of the British Business Bank, which is the UK’s economic development bank, a position he has held since October 2023. With over three decades of experience in financial services, investment, and business leadership, both in the UK and internationally, he has built a reputation for fostering entrepreneurship and driving economic growth. He is the Founder and former CEO of the Business Growth Fund, the largest growth capital investor in the UK, where he played a pivotal role in supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises across the country. His career also includes senior roles at Barclays and JP Morgan.

Stephen lives in East Sussex and his parents lived in Eastbourne from 1990 to 2023. His father was a keen artist and an active member of the Eastbourne Arts Society. Stephen is a member of the Magic Circle.

Also joining Towner’s Board of Trustees is former Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. Caroline was first elected as Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion in 2010. She served as leader and co-leader of the Green Party and as an MEP. An active campaigner on a range of issues, Caroline was consistently voted the UK’s most ethical politician. She has been the patron and supporter of various arts projects over the years and previously worked with Towner in 2019 when she curated BRINK, an exhibition of works from Towner’s Collection reflecting her passions and interests, from her environmental work, climate change and its effects on our landscape, to her love of living in Sussex.

Towner’s outgoing Chair David Dimbleby will take up a new role as the gallery’s first President. David’s tenure as Towner’s Chair began in 2014 as the gallery became an independent charitable trust. During his decade at the helm, Towner has transformed from a gallery welcoming 60,000 visitors annually to a significant cultural institution with a national and international profile attracting over 200,000 visitors a year.

Towner’s Director CEO Joe Hill said, "We’re so excited to be welcoming both Stephen and Caroline onto our board. Stephen’s deep commitment to sustainable businesses and his passion for supporting cultural and social enterprises make him an ideal leader for Towner as we enter a new phase of the gallery’s development. Caroline will be an enormous asset to Towner; her passion for the environment and the local landscape will be hugely beneficial as we work towards the realisation of the Black Robin Farm project. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with David in his new role as Towner’s President. His passion and belief in what we do have been invaluable, and his creative guidance has helped shape many of our most ambitious projects.”

Stephen Welton said, "I am delighted to be joining Towner Eastbourne, excited to be working with Joe and the team, and honoured to take over from David Dimbleby. After a very successful decade, Towner is a shining example of an arts institution with the right mix of ambition, community focus and a forward looking agenda. With ever increasing challenges on local funding it is crucially important, now more than ever, to forge strong partnerships to ensure the long term success of our cultural life at both a local and national level. The government's renewed focus on Creative Industries as one of the key sectors driving growth will add further impetus to future plans for Towner."