Help us inspire current and future makers

Charitable Trust

The Stradling Collection is a charitable Trust. We are entirely reliant on support from charitable organisations, including the The Gane Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund as well as individuals who support us as Friends and Patrons. Until his death, aged 100, we were also supported by Chair of the Trust, Ken Stradling MBE.

How you can get involved

If you would like to support us to help us deliver our programme of engagement and learning, you can volunteer with us to have a closer connection with the Collection, or become a Friend and have the opportunity to attend exclusive design-related events and private views. For an even closer involvement, we welcome those who join us as a Patron.

How your involvement helps

Ken’s vision was that the Collection should to inspire future generations of makers, collectors and designers. Your contribution enables us to curate exhibitions, improve visitor facilities, conserve the collection and develop our learning and events programme.

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 – £30; Couples – £45.

  • 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 VOLUNTEER

Our volunteers are vital to the running of the Collection as they are central to us being able to open to the public.

If you would enjoy welcoming visitors to the gallery then we definitely want to hear from you! Volunteering with us can offer useful experience for a career in museums, galleries or educational institutions.

Induction and training are provided.

“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.”

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