About the Friends
The purpose of the Friends of Gunnersbury Park & Museum is to preserve and improve the Park, with its varied landscape, its sports, leisure and recreational activities and its historic buildings, together with the Museum, which is the local museum for the whole of both Boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow.
The Friends were formed in 1981, as a registered charity (number 286310). You can read our constitution here.
We have achieved a great deal, but there is still a lot to do. Since 1980 we have:
- kept our members up to date with news about the Park, the Museum and the work of the Gunnersbury Park Joint Committee (our Newsletter archive is here).
- served as observers on the Gunnersbury Park Joint Committee (made of up 6 councillors from both the boroughs of Ealing and Hounslow) until it was disbanded in 2007.
- put on a lively programme of events in the Park and in the Museum.
- made donations and acquisitions to improve the Museum and the Park.
- restored and opened the Victorian Kitchens.
- contributed information and expertise to the first Park Development Plan, the successful bid for Heritage Lottery funding for restoration and to many of the subsequent consultancies, studies and reports into the Park's future.
- contributed volunteers to many projects, from bulb planting to opening Amelia’s Grotto on Open House weekends.
- we even ran the Cafés for some years and developed a banqueting service, mainly using the Temple.
You can find out more about our activities in this short history of the Friends.
Even a casual visitor to the Park can see there is a lot to do. Since the 1970s the Park has lost two of its historic buildings to decay (the Dairy and the East Lodge) and the Stables are in a critical condition. The sports changing rooms need to be rebuilt after a fire. Even the occupied buildings need repair. And many of the landscape features and recreation facilities need upgrading. Regular visitors love the place – it has been part of the life of local people since the 1920s.
So we would be very grateful if you would consider joining us, paying a small subscription, coming to the occasional meetings, reading the Newsletter, perhaps contributing to this website, talking with your friends and family and keeping up your interest. We think the next few years are going to be very significant for the future of Gunnersbury, and your enthusiasm will be very welcome. You can find our membership details here.