More Funding in Place for Chiswick House Learning Hub
Council releases money taken from developers for project
The facility will enable a full educational programme for schools. Picture: Chris Frost
March 18, 2025
A £3.25million project to develop a learning hub within the gardens of Chiswick House has reached a key funding milestone.
The Chiswick House & Gardens Trust (CHGT) announced this Tuesday (18 March) that Hounslow Council has released a £400,000 grant distributed as part of its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. This is money taken from developers as a condition of being given planning approval.
This brings the total raised to £2.5million, 70% of what is needed and work on the project now expected to begin this coming winter.
The gardens already have a programme of educational activities for local schools including those in the Kitchen Garden but current resources are limited.
The creation of the planned Learning Hub would allow CHGT to host over 7000 horticultural and creative learning activities annually, enabling an expansion of its effective and wide-reaching community programme and the launch of a full programme for schools.
The Learning Hub is part of a broader £6m redevelopment project that will open up hidden areas of the estate providing new workspaces for local artists and craftspeople, in partnership with London-based charity Artist Studio Company as well as transforming the overgrown 17th century walled garden into a community fruit garden, and building a new work base for volunteers.
The Trust hopes that these new facilities will support its charitable mission by providing spaces for local community groups and young people, as well as creating new sources of income to support CHGT’s work.
Construction of the artist workspaces, made possible by funding from the London Borough of Hounslow, the Mayor of London Creative Enterprise Zone, Linbury Trust and the Wolfson Foundation, is already underway, with CHGT expecting to welcome the first artists in late spring.
Alexis Moline, Schools & Community Coordinator at Chiswick House & Gardens Trust, said, “With its rich history, commitment to environmental sustainability, and a highly enthusiastic team, Chiswick House & Gardens is a place where learners and educators feel free to be curious and connect with one another. We’re so pleased to acknowledge this generous grant from the London Borough of Hounslow, which brings us closer to the creation of the Learning Hub, and to the expansion of our learning programme, across the next five years and beyond.”
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, added, ‘‘Chiswick House & Gardens Trust is delighted by this enormously generous grant from Hounslow Council, which brings us significantly closer to starting work on our Learning Hub. Its creation will enable us to dramatically increase the number of people our dedicated Community and Schools team are able to reach, cementing Chiswick House’s place at the heart of Hounslow’s community.”
Cllr Tom Bruce, deputy leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development, said, “We are pleased to support the Chiswick House & Gardens Trust through our Community Infrastructure Levy funds. This grant underscores our commitment to enriching community spaces and fostering educational opportunities within Hounslow. The Learning Hub will be a beacon of community learning and engagement, offering over 7,000 horticultural and creative activities each year. By revitalising underused areas and supporting local artists and volunteers, we are not only preserving our heritage but also nurturing a vibrant future for our community. This project exemplifies some of the benefits that come with new development in the brough, in this case with CIL funding received from new developments invested to create lasting benefits for our residents and help build stronger, more connected communities."
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