03 SEPTEMBER 2026

Sir Nick Partridge

ANNOUNCEMENT

Sir Nick Partridge succeeds Co-founder and current Chair, Ian Mehrtens, as Chair of the Board of Trustees from September.

Ian Mehrtens, Co-Founder and Chair of the Trustee Board at Queer Britain Museum will step down in September, as he completes his service within the Museums Trustee term limits framework.

As with all good charities, Queer Britain Museum Trustees serve up to three, three-year terms on the Board. Each Trustee brings a specific skill set and experience, ranging from charity governance, safeguarding, marketing, and communications to fundraising, finance and legal.

Following an public, open, recruitment process, a nominations sub-committee of the Board (Wayne Snow, Lisa Power, Richard Duncalf and Tara Borna) interviewed candidates and recommended the appointment of Sir Nick Partridge.

Sir Nick Partridge is one of the UK’s most respected charity leaders and public health advocates. From 1985, he spent almost three decades with the Terrence Higgins Trust, including 22 years as Chief Executive, helping to build the organisation into the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. Alongside his work in the HIV sector, he has made significant contributions to medical research, healthcare governance and patient involvement, serving on numerous national boards and advisory bodies. Widely respected for his collaborative leadership and commitment to social justice and LGBTQ+ equality, he was awarded an OBE in 1999 and knighted in 2009 for services to healthcare.

Ian Mehrtens will continue to be involved with Queer Britain Museum, serving as Chair of the Property Sub-Committee, supporting the search for the museum’s permanent home from 2030.

Ian Mehrtens, Outgoing Chair of Queer Britain Museum, said:

After eight incredible and unforgettable years as Chair, it is with enormous pride that I hand over the leadership of the museum to Sir Nick Partridge.

As one of the two founders of Queer Britain Museum, I have seen it grow from an idea to an award-winning institution. We set out with a simple ambition of creating Britain’s first national museum dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and culture, to provide a permanent home for our stories to be preserved, celebrated and shared. Today, Queer Britain Museum stands as a testament to the vision, collaboration, and commitment of all who believed this museum mattered.

It has been the privilege of my life to help establish an institution that recognises LGBTQ+ lives and experiences as an integral part of Britain’s national story and I am deeply grateful to our trustees, staff, volunteers, partners, donors and supporters, whose dedication made this possible.

It is with great pleasure that I pass the chair to Sir Nick Partridge. His distinguished leadership, lifelong commitment to equality and inclusion, and deep understanding of our community make him an outstanding successor. I know Queer Britain Museum will continue to grow in ambition, reach, and impact under his stewardship, with Andrew Given leading the Executive.

As I step down, I do so with immense confidence in the museum’s future. Queer Britain Museum has become a vital cultural institution, ensuring LGBTQ+ stories are remembered and recognised as an essential part of our shared heritage, and I look forward to its continued success in the years ahead.

 

Sir Nick Partridge, Incoming Chair of Queer Britain Museum, said:

“I am delighted to be joining Queer Britain Museum as Chair. The museum has already made an extraordinary contribution by bringing LGBTQ+ history into the mainstream and creating a space where people can learn, reflect and feel a sense of belonging.

Our history is rich, diverse and deeply connected to the story of modern Britain, yet too much of it has been overlooked or forgotten. Queer Britain Museum is helping to change that.

I am grateful to Ian Mehrtens for his outstanding leadership and to everyone who has helped bring the museum to this point. I look forward to working with trustees, staff, volunteers and supporters as we continue to grow the museum's reach, deepen its impact and secure its long-term future.”

 


Andrew Given, Queer Britain Museum Chief Executive, said:

Ian Mehrtens, along with co-founder Joseph Galliano-Doig, worked tirelessly for almost five years to bring the idea of Queer Britain Museum into a physical space during 2022. Ian’s kind and thoughtful approach to leadership, combined with his expertise in charity governance has been invaluable. Good charity governance requires term-limits, but it’s never easy to say goodbye to an outstanding Chair. I’m delighted that Ian will continue to be involved, chairing the subcommittee that is leading the search for our permanent home.

Everyone at Queer Britain Museum is excited to welcome Sir Nick as our new Chair, to lead the board in our mission to Reclaim, Preserve, and Celebrate British LGBTQ+ history and culture.