About us

Chiswick House Friends is a charity with about six hundred members, mostly local residents and dog walkers, who care about the upkeep and preservation of the House and Gardens. 

There are nine trustees who run the charity. These trustees are elected by the members and meet regularly to organise fund-raising events and discuss issues and needs in relation to the House and Gardens. Each trustee stands down automatically after three years, but may then be re-elected at the AGM by the members, to whom the trustees are thereby accountable. The Friends have contributed significantly to raising awareness, and have been fund-raising for projects in the House and Gardens, having raised and donated almost £0.5m, since our establishment in 1984. With the agreement of the members, the Friends remain separate from the Trust that runs the House and Gardens, and we have kept our separate membership scheme.

Management of the Estate

Chiswick House and Gardens is managed by the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust. This is a registered charity set up jointly by English Heritage and the London Borough of Hounslow in April 2005, to integrate the management of the House and Gardens, and to oversee the restoration, management and conservation of this important historic site. The Trust is dedicated to engaging the 1m annual visitors to the site in its heritage, nature and history, architecture and environment.

Each year, the Trust needs to raise £1m to keep Chiswick House and Gardens open to the public. You can find out how to support the Trust by becoming a member (of the Trust), donating or volunteering here.

The Trust membership scheme offers a range of benefits that are listed on the Chiswick House and Gardens website here.