Chiswick House & Gardens Launches Crowdfunding Appeal |
|
Seeking £165,000 to complete new community spaces
March 25, 2026 Chiswick House & Gardens has launched a major crowdfunding appeal to help complete three new community spaces, inviting local residents and supporters to “make their mark” on the cherished historic site. The campaign, which went live this Thursday (26 March), aims to raise £165,000 to put the finishing touches to the charity’s new Learning Hub, Foyle Learning Yard and Kitchen Garden Hub. Donations will help fund raised beds, planters, plants, awnings for shade, and essential fixtures and fittings including furniture, kitchen equipment and storage. In return, supporters can choose from a range of rewards — from limited-edition pin badges, seed mixes and postcards to having their name engraved on a celebratory brick or bench. Higher-tier rewards even include expert gardening advice. The new spaces represent a significant expansion of the charity’s education and community work. According to the Trust, the Clore Learning Space and Foyle Learning Yard will allow the gardens to welcome ten times as many schoolchildren and twice as many charity partners, offering year-round opportunities to learn about nature, food growing and the historic landscape. The Kitchen Garden Hub will provide facilities for the estate’s volunteer teams, including a kitchen, sheltered seating, storage, a drying room and an accessible toilet — improvements designed to make volunteering more inclusive and sustainable. Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust, said the final fundraising push is essential to ensure the new areas are ready for the community this summer. “We need your help to make these new spaces beautiful, welcoming and ready for everyone this summer. Your support will mean more people of all ages will have the chance to enjoy all that is special about Chiswick House & Gardens. Your generosity will help to build a future for this extraordinary place that is as inspiring as its past.” The wider development — costing £5.2 million — has been supported by a long list of major funders, including Hounslow Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Linbury Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, Kusuma Trust, Foyle Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, the Mayor of London, The Headley Trust, The Swire Charitable Trust, Bernard Sunley Foundation, The Architectural Heritage Fund, the Sandra Charitable Trust and numerous individual donors. The project is due to be completed this summer, with an official opening planned for September. Donations can be made via the crowdfunding page.
|