Chiswick House launches £165,000 crowdfunding appeal for new community spaces

Chiswick House & Gardens Trust has launched a crowdfunding appeal to help put the finishing touches to three major new spaces on the estate

The Trust is aiming to raise £165,000 through public donations to ensure the new buildings and gardens are fully equipped and ready to welcome the local community this summer.

The fundraising drive follows a £5.2 million development project supported by Hounslow Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the Mayor of London.

While the structural work is nearly complete, the Trust now needs to fund the practical items that make the spaces usable.

This includes raised beds, planters, plants, indoor and outdoor furniture, kitchen equipment, and awnings to provide shade for visiting school groups.

The project introduces several new facilities, including a new net-carbon-zero Learning Hub, featuring the Clore Learning Space, and the Foyle Learning Yard.

These areas will allow the gardens to welcome 5,000 schoolchildren and 7,000 community participants every year, ten times as many schoolchildren as they can currently accommodate.

There is also a brand-new Kitchen Garden Hub, providing a long-awaited base for the volunteers who maintain the grounds, including a kitchen, drying room, and accessible facilities.

The appeal is being supported by a short film produced by Elevate Community Productions CIC, which features local artist Gillian Brett in her studio at the gardens.

By making a donation before the campaign closes on Wednesday 22 April, supporters can secure a range of rewards.

These include limited edition pin badges, seed mixes, and postcards, as well as the chance to have a name featured on a celebratory brick or bench.

For those living within a four-mile radius, some reward tiers even offer expert horticultural advice for their own private garden.

Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director at Chiswick House & Gardens Trust, says the support will mean more people of all ages will have the chance to enjoy what is special about the gardens:

“Your generosity will help to build a future for this extraordinary place that is as inspiring as its past.”

The project is scheduled for completion this summer, with an official opening to follow in September 2026.

As a charity that is 75 per cent visitor and supporter funded, the Trust relies on the community to keep the 65-acre Grade I listed gardens free to roam.

Full details of the appeal and the rewards available can be found at:
crowdfunder.co.uk/p/chiswick-house-and-gardens.

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