Director of ‘nationally recognised’ Havant arts and heritage centre steps down after nine years

Sophie Fullerlove joined the The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre team in 2013 and has been the driving force behind many developments and innovations at the organisation.

She said: ‘I am probably most proud that on any day I can walk through our building and pop into workshops and events full of different types of people all enjoying our activities together in a safe and welcoming environment.

‘The Spring really is an inclusive space where anyone feels welcome.

‘Of course, not everything has been easy and not everything has worked. We wouldn’t have been doing our jobs properly if it had.

‘We have managed funding disappointments, difficult staffing decisions and medical emergencies. We worked through and survived Covid-19.

‘I have had the honour of overseeing all these – and many more – developments, changes and challenges.

‘It has been a huge privilege and I am grateful for the opportunity and also for the faith placed in me by the board, staff, funders and our community.

‘The team at The Spring are so dedicated, experienced and simply brilliant that I am no longer needed in the way I once was.

‘Together we have achieved more than I ever thought possible and so it’s time for me to make space and let someone else take on the joy of this role.’

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Sophie will depart at the end of May to work as a freelance consultant in the arts industry.

General manager Sue Dickinson will be stepping in as interim director.

Paul Jessop, chair of trustees, said: ‘Sophie's legacy in her role isn't just her impact on The Spring, it's how that has impacted on Havant.

‘Under Sophie's leadership, Havant now has a first class arts and heritage centre with NPO status that is the envy of Chichester, Portsmouth and bigger cities; that is nationally recognised for the quality of the work it produces and the innovative ways it engages with the people of Havant.

‘"Culture" isn't about the pomposity of how much Shakespeare you've seen this month, it's about creating an environment of enriching and thought-provoking experiences and Sophie has brought that to everyone in Havant and its surroundings.’