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Chiswick House Friends
Welcome
The purpose of the Chiswick House Friends is summarised by the following extract from the Trust Deed dated 20th June 1984:
Chiswick House Friends will assist in the restoration conservation enhancement and protection of Chiswick House and the grounds and the statues and other monuments therein for the benefit of the inhabitants of Chiswick and its neighbourhood and other members of the public and further to inform such visitors to Chiswick House about its history and significance.
Our aims are to:
- promote and act as an advocate for Chiswick House and Gardens.
- provide a forum and voice for our members to express their wishes.
- We publish a newsletter twice a year.
- raise funds to contribute to special projects, educational initiatives and acquisitions.
- encourage greater public appreciation and enjoyment of Chiswick House, its architecture, paintings, furniture and collections.
- invite exploration and enjoyment of the unique and fascinating gardens.
- help provide educational facilities and events to inform people about the House and Gardens
The Chiswick House Friends is a registered charity (number 289907) and its activities managed by a group of Trustees.
The Friends Contributions Over 25 Years
The Friend's contribute matching funds for big projects, which are essential to get plans off the ground and also contribute to amenities, educational or social activities, and to those small but important gaps which no one else fills.
The Friends and their donors can be sure their independent support will go directly to Chiswick House and Gardens where and when it is most needed.
The Friends donations have make a difference. In the House, the Friends’ major donations over the years have included £1,250 towards the purchase of a Nollekens bust of the fifth Duke of Devonshire, £10,000 towards the purchase of the two magnificent Bosun and Guelfi pier tables and for two Rysbrack paintings and £1,000 towards the purchase of a painting reputed to be of Lord Burlington’s mother.
In 2004 they gave £2,000 towards the re-hanging of the painting collection. In 2007 they gave, at short notice, £15,000 augmented by some private donations, which probably tipped the balance in securing at auction a spectacular contemporary view of the House by Rysbrack.
In the Gardens, the Friends gave £10,000 towards the restoration of the two great Coade stone vases in the Conservatory. They also gave £10,000 in addition to £7,000 contributed by other donors, towards the complete overhaul and restoration of the Cascade. They contributed substantially to the replacement of the stone lions on the Staveley Road gates and to the two benches beside the House. In their Silver Jubilee year they look forward to playing a big part in the restoration of the Rosary and the replacement of the statue of the Medici Venus on the Doric Column.
Among their other donations, the Friends have paid for new trees. They have bought chairs for events held in the House and have contributed to arrangements for disabled access. They contributed to a report on the causes of pollution and algae in the lake and water testing.
By 2003 conditions in the Gardens had become so bad that the Friends exceptionally paid £1,000 to a security company for night patrols and gave £850 towards the cost of speed dips in Duke’s Avenue. Other contributions include the purchase of equipment for the Goosefoot Volunteers and Chiswick House and Gardens staff, and support for research projects and school activities.
In order to continue this excellent work we need your support by becoming a member and/or making a donation. Click here for details.
Trustees
Mr George Nissen, CBE Chairman
Dr John Armstrong Deputy Chairman
Mr Richard Treganowan Treasurer
Mrs Hilary Whalley Secretary
Mrs Halcyon Palmer Membership
Mr David Beattie
Mrs Felicity Crawley
Mrs Louise Chapman
Mrs Jo Monroe
Mr Guthrie Luke
Mrs Felicity Barwood (representing Hounslow Council)
Chiswick House Friends say NO to Heathrow Expansion
Earlier this spring the Friends mounted a campaign against the expansion of Heathrow. The trustees felt that the new runway 3 flight-path, the end of alternation and the increase in flights from 473,000 a year to over 700,000, would pose a serious threat to the peace and atmosphere of the House and gardens.
Find out more from the Spring 2008 Newsletter
Volunteers
Chiswick House Friends Volunteers Would you be interested in supporting the Friends’ activities? We always need volunteers to help with a variety of events such as the annual dog show or Summer Opera Evening or there are regular tasks such as newsletter mailings. Or possibly act as a guide to the House and/or Gardens. It is a great way to meet people in the Chiswick community and would suit anyone with a few hours to spare a month. We can find activities to suit the time you have available.
Please contact secretary@chfriends.org.uk
Volunteers are also needed by the Goosefoot Volunteers and the Kitchen Garden Association. Find out more
Sponsorship
There are a list of projects and activities that require funding in the House and Gardens. Your support as an individual, company or organisation to assist these developments would be very welcome. For further information and advice please contact the secretary@chfriends.org.uk
Toddlers' Playground
The Friends are supporting the plan to install a small children's playground. This excellent facility will be sited near to the new café and will be available when the Project is completed.
Membership
By joining the Friends you are contributing to the long term future of Chiswick House and Gardens, and can also add your voice to the influence we have for the future of the site.
There is a significant role for the Friends in representing the views of local people and visitors by influencing the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust in planning and implementing the Lottery Project for the best possible outcome.
Membership costs from £10 per year for singles, and £15 for double and £20 for corporate membership.
Click here for printable membership form
PDF requires free Adobe Reader software available here.
Benefits of Membership
- Free entry to the House
- Private views to exhibitions in the House
- Talks and walks around Chiswick House Gardens
- Social functions in the House and Gardens
- Receive regular newsletters
- E-mail updates for registered e-mail addressees
- Influence the development of the House and Gardens
Newsletters
Check out the Neighbours!
Friends may be interested to know more about another fine example of Palladian architecture, Marble Hill House, just a few miles from Chiswick House in Twickenham.
This link below will take you to the website of the Marble Hill Society giving details of the House and the Society www.marblehillsociety.org.uk
Friends Celebrate Silver Jubilee
Last year the Chiswick House Friends celebrated their Silver Jubilee.
Since 1984 the Friends, among many other activities, have brought furniture and sculptures back to Chiswick House. In 2007 their donation tipped the balance in buying a superb eighteenth century view by Rysbrack. In the Gardens they helped in getting the Cascade back into full working order and in having the two great Coadestone vases restored. They have paid for new trees, bought equipment for the staff and volunteers and sponsored many community events.
In 2009 they contributed the lion’s share of the costs of the restoration of the Rosary. The Jubilee was crowned by the installation of a new stone copy of the statue of the Medici Venus on top of the Doric Column, standing as she did 200 years ago.
Thank you for your help. The Friends are the independent local voice of supporters of Chiswick House and Gardens. Please join us and keep the good work going!
The Friends and the Restoration Project
The Friends have long recognised the overwhelming case for capital funding for the restoration – without which deterioration would have continued. We have focused our efforts on supporting developments that we think are appropriate and will support future maintenance. To do this, we engaged in two consultations with our members; the first in November 2005 on all the aspects of the bid we thought critical, and the second in March 2006 on specific questions about the café. We have communicated and lobbied these views many times to the Trust, and have been able to influence their plans on several key issues.
While the Chairman of the Friends is also a Trustee of the CHGT, we try hard to keep these roles separate and make sure the Friends genuinely represent our members, maintaining a viewpoint that is independent of the Trust. On the other hand we try to avoid some of the more strident views often expressed in the press or by members of the public, and believe strongly in the principle of reasoned and pragmatic debate.
Our position is best summed up in a letter we wrote to the Trust in May 2006, following the café consultation. You can read the Summary of this letter in PDF format here.
We are pleased that the finally approved plans take account of views expressed by the Friends and through public consultation and and look forward to the exciting restoration and developments over the next eighteen months.
Photo Library
(copyright applies) View images >
Shop
As new items are constantly being added to the shop do be sure to come back on a regular basis. All proceeds of the items sold in the shop go towards the fund which the Friends maintain for supporting the House and Gardens, such as the Lottery Project.
CHRISTMAS CARDS:
Cards with featured scenes from the House and Gardens will be available from the shop in the Autumn of 2009.
POSTCARDS
There is a choice of 4 different cards available in minimum of 10 per pack.
INFORMATION LEAFLETS:
The History Trail
The Tree Trail