Help us inspire current and future makers

If you would like to join in by supporting us financially to help us deliver our programme of engagement and learning, you can can become a Friend or volunteer with us to have a closer connection with our design-related events. For a closer involvement, we welcome those who join us as a Patron.

The Stradling Collection is a charity. Support from members of the public, companies and charitable organisations enables us to curate exhibitions, improve facilities, conserve and study the collection, buy objects, and develop our learning and events programme. Your contribution will ensure we continue to inspire future generations of makers, collectors and designers.

We are grateful to our many funders, supporters and partners, including: The Gane Trust, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Bristol Ideas, and of course Ken Stradling MBE.

COULD YOU BE A TRUSTEE?

We are seeking people who have an appetite for volunteering their skills and experience to contribute to developing a new, sustainable business model. The Ken Stradling Collection Trust is seeking a new Chair and additional Trustees to help it shape its vision for the future. 

We have ambitious plans to re-invigorate our offer, particularly: focusing on sharing the collection with wider audiences; providing more creative learning opportunities for children, young people and students; considering the future needs of the building and storage of the collection and forming partnerships with other arts organisations and academic institutions.

Have you got what it takes to be a Trustee?

FIND OUT MORE

BECOME A FRIEND

Join this friendly, design-oriented group of people who support the Stradling Collection. As an independent charity their commitment helps our development towards sustainability and our ability to engage with an increasingly wide audience.

Friends of the Stradling Collection pay a yearly subscription of: individuals: £20; two people £30; students £10.

  • Priority booking for talks and events
  • Invitation to private views
  • Annual summer party
  • Regular updates about events at the Stradling Collection
  • Visits to other collections, artists’ studios or museums.
BECOME A FRIEND

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

Our volunteers are a vital to the running of the Collection. Without them we would not be able to deliver such an exciting programme of events and activities.

Volunteering with us can offer useful experience for a career in museums, galleries or educational institutions. We try to offer volunteering opportunities that suit the skills you want to develop or utilise, as well as the level of commitment and time you can give. Induction and training are provided.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

“Being a volunteer at the Stradling Collection gives me a chance to support this inspiring collection and help it to be appreciated by the many visitors.”

Tanya Martin

BECOME A PATRON

£500 per annum

Our Patrons Group was launched in 2015 to provide vital financial support. Each Patron has pledged to contribute £500 or more for three consecutive years. As an independent charity with no public funding this enables us to continue to develop and provide inspiration for the makers of tomorrow.

Please contact us to discuss becoming a Patron.

Benefits

  • A welcome bag including a copy of the Incidental Collector plus other goodies
  • An annual talk by invited expert on a design related topic
  • Priority booking for talks and events
  • Invitation to KSC
  • Annual visits to other collections, artist’s studios or museums
  • Private views
  • Annual Summer Party
  • Regular updates about events at the Collection.

‘Ken Stradling is a collector with an open mind and personal eye, his collection is open to all of us to see and even handle.’

Margaret Howell, Patron since 2015