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Cobham, in Surrey, will be going into Tier 3 from midnight on Fri 18 Dec. 

We have taken our time to digest the guidelines and it is with much regret that this change will require us to cancel Tea and Cake with Santa between Sat 19 and Thur 24 Dec. After studying the regulations we are unable to offer Tea and Cake with Santa in Tier 3. 

We know that this will be devastating news for families hoping to meet Father Christmas and we are so sorry that we are not able to welcome you this year. We have always put the safety of our customers first and understand our responsibility to support the Government guidelines.

Snowfari is outdoors in the landscape and, according to Government guidelines, can still go ahead. Your tickets for this family animal trail are still valid. 

We will be issuing a partial refund (for Tea with Santa not Snowfari) as soon as possible. (It is a full refund for Painshill members as Snowfari is free for members. If you have purchased tickets that are not covered by your membership and would like to transfer the tickets to Snowfari please email info@painshill.co.uk).

As a gesture of Christmas goodwill the presents that would have been given by Santa can be collected free of charge when you visit Snowfari. Please ask at the ticket desk for your presents which will be accompanied by a letter from Santa for your children. 

If you require any further information please get in touch with us at us at info@painshill.co.uk. 

We know these are difficult times affecting many people and companies across the country.

However, the British public have been amazing so far. Everyone at Painshill is incredibly grateful for the support you have shown by donating to our emergency appeal, coming to visit, using our tea room and shop and becoming a member.

Has Covid cancelled your staff Christmas party? If so, please donate the unused cost of your Xmas party to Painshill. Find out more about the campaign on Justgiving.

You and all your staff will become instant #XmasPartyHeroes

To take part, we simply ask:

1. Please email us on fundraising@painshill.co.uk to let us know which company/organisation you are from and how much you are pledging
2. Make your donation here on Justgiving
3. You can increase your pledge by making a donation instead of corporate gifts for suppliers/clients and by encouraging staff to make a donation instead of Secret Santa gifts
4. Share the news of becoming #XmasPartyHeroes on your social media channels, including @Painshill
5. Please share your love for Painshill and encourage other companies, friends and family to donate as well.

Thank you for supporting Painshill.

This Christmas the wonderful Snowfari comes to the landscape at Painshill.

This family trail takes children on a journey to find many different animal statues and discover interesting facts about each species.

As part of the experience we are sharing a blog post below with 5 ways your children can help the animals and connect to the natural environment around them.

Plant flowers

Have you got a garden or balcony? Why not plant some flowers for animals to enjoy? Many bugs need flowers including bees which collect the flower’s pollen to make honey.

Find out more with the Woodland Trust and their guide to the best plants for pollinators.

Adopt an animal

Lots of the animals in Snowfari live far away, like the polar bear, but you can still help them. You can adopt animals with many different charities. You will often get an adoption pack with facts about your animals and a cuddy toy.

Local places to do this include WWF, who help animals all around the world and the Surrey Wildlife Trust where you can adopt a local species.

You can also help protect places like Painshill which offer a home to animals. To find out what wildlife we have in the landscape take a peek at our wildlife cam!

Make a bird feeder

The birds in your garden are always on the lookout for food. You can make them an easy snack. Here is a tutorial from our Head of Education Adam about how you put it together.

Donate your old things

Animal shelters are always on the lookout for old blankets and towels for their dogs and cats. If you have some you are no longer using why not do a bit of a clear out and take them to your local centre. Take a look at the RSPCA for a centre local to you and your family.

Be kind to bugs

When you see a bug don’t squish it! Why not go on a bug hunt at Painshill or your local park and see what amazing creatures you can find?

Here is a tutorial from Adam about what do to.

Painshill runs Forest School sessions, holiday camps and school visits to connect children of all ages to their natural environment.

In the summer of 2019, Painshill first dipped its toe into the wonderful world of gin making. Helped by a local company, The Gin Kitchen in Dorking, we created the Painshill Kitchen Garden Gin. Inspired by our Kitchen Garden and using many of the botanicals grown by the landscape team we put together a fresh summer drink that included Lemon Balm, Rhubarb and Loveage.

Little were the team to know what was around the corner! As Covid-19 creep across the world we wondered how Painshill would survive a lockdown.

In April, the remaining staff that were not furloughed set about trying to save Painshill by making income in other ways. We set up a Painshill Gin delivery service and boy do people in lockdown love a gin! During lockdown we delivered 99 bottles to local residents. Thank you to everyone that supported us.

With the summer crops running low the team, with The Gin Kitchen, have now created a second Gin.

This new Gin takes its ingredients from the autumn crops. The main flavours, Mirabelle Plum and apple, have been grown and cultivated on site by the Painshill Landscape team to create a Gin that is unique to Painshill with a distinguished taste. These fruits have been combined with coco, orange and rosemary to bring you a warming winter gin. Inspired by the Painshill folly The Turkish Tent, we hope this slightly spiced Gin will transport you to warmer climates.

The plums and apples have a limited harvest so our Turkish Tent Gin will be a very small batch. This completely unique local project will make a wonderful gift this Christmas. It is on sale now in the Painshill Gift Shop.

Enjoy with a crisp tonic and a slice of cucumber and let us know what you think @painshill #painshillgin

Remember A Charity Week (7 – 13 September) marks a time when charities everywhere take a moment to acknowledge and reflect on the huge contribution people make when they leave a legacy to somewhere they love.

As a small independent charity legacies are important for Painshill as they help to protect the park for future generations.  We are extremely grateful to everyone who has chosen to support Painshill in this way. Family and friends come first, but a gift of any size ensures we can continue to restore and preserve the landscape.

Find out more about leaving a gift in your Will.

Please consider supporting Painshill by including a gift in your Will for Painshill. During Remember A Charity Week (7-13 September 2020) Co-operative Legal Services is offering to write a basic single Will for Painshill supporters at a discounted cost of £99 + VAT. To contact a Wills specialist, call 0844 252 9965 and quote RACWILLS01 or click here.

We were delighted to meet Simon Lewis and Esher and Walton MP, Dominic Raab representing the Elmbridge Philanthropy Fund today. We have benefited hugely from a grant they and Community Foundation for Surrey donated to us. The funding allowed us to recruit a Volunteer Manager to offer our team of volunteers more support.

Simon Lewis is the Chairman for Elmbridge Philanthropy Fund and Dominic Raab helped to set up the fund and is a proud supporter of the work that it does to assist the local community. Today they met with some of the volunteers to talk about how important Painshill is to them and the ways in which is improves their mental and physical wellbeing.

Painshill has a team of over 200 volunteers who help the small charity run the 18^th century landscape garden. They take on various roles from gardening and maintenance to meeting visitors and running guided tours.

Thank you so much to the Elmbridge Philanthropy Fund and Community Foundation for Surrey for their continued support.

Esher and Walton MP Dominic Raab said,“It was great to visit Painshill Park today, seeing how it is bouncing back from the disruption caused by Coronavirus. Volunteers are crucial to the park’s operation, so it was good to meet so many of them today. It was particularly encouraging to meet Lucy Ward, a Volunteer Manager whose recruitment was funded by a grant from the Community Foundation for Surrey and Elmbridge Philanthropy. Having helped to set up Elmbridge Philanthropy, it’s fantastic to see it funding such important local initiatives like this.”

Paul Griffiths, Director of Painshill, said, “It was a pleasure to have the chance to show Simon and Dominic what a huge difference the funding has made to Painshill. We couldn’t manage without our amazing volunteers and, in return, want to ensure the beautiful landscape offers them the chance to improve their wellbeing and feel part of a team. It is fantastic to have Lucy, our Volunteer Manager, to give them support”

Find out more about Elmbridge Philanthropy

Learn more about volunteering at Painshill 

We are delighted to announce that Painshill Park Trust has received £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help combat the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Designed in the 18^th century by Charles Hamilton, Painshill fell into ruins until it was saved by the Trust in the 1980s. Over the years we have been restoring each of the follies and recreating the views for our 130,000 visitors a year. Painshill relies on ticket admission income for its survival.

Director of Painshill Paul Griffiths said: “The Painshill team are hugely relieved and overjoyed to have received this generous grant. These vital funds will go towards combating the financial impact of Painshill’s recent nine-week closure. We’re grateful that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund. £50million has been made available to provide emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.

The UK-wide fund will address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as Painshill during this uncertain time.”

Like Painshill, other charities and organisations across the UK that have been affected by the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus outbreak are being given access to a comprehensive package of support of up to £600 million of repurposed money from The National Lottery. This money is supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and span the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors.

Thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised every week for good causes, including heritage of local and national importance. By playing The National Lottery, people up and down the country are making an amazing contribution to the nationwide-response to combating the impact of COVID-19 on local communities across the UK.

Find out more about the National Lottery Good Causes

This funding will help Painshill to recover from the financial damage the COVID-19 lockdown caused, specifically supporting its costs for four months. While this funding is a vital lifeline for the park’s immediate future, it will require additional support urgently to secure the charity’s long-term future.

Find out more about Painshill and how you can help today

We are delighted that Painshill has been shortlisted for the Historic Houses Association Award for Garden of the Year 2020.

Since the lost landscape garden was rediscovered in the 1980s, Painshill Park Trust has been restoring the site to its former 18^th century glory.  The Painshill team is absolutely thrilled that this commitment and work has been recognised and nominated.

This prestigious national award, sponsored by Christie’s auction house, has been presented annually since 1984. It is designed to recognise the importance of some of the country’s most spectacular gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal.

Painshill Director Paul Griffiths said, “The first half of 2020 has been very difficult, with flooding over winter and a long closure for COVID-19, so this happy news has been very gratefully received. We are overjoyed to have been shortlisted and hope the public will vote for us.”

Now that the gardens have been shortlisted the award goes to a public vote. We need your help! If you love Painshill, please help us win by voting for us today at https://www.historichouses.org/goya2020.html

Vote today

Painshill is now open to the public again. Social distancing rules apply and tickets must be bought in advance. There are 158 acres to spread out in and enjoy – the perfect antidote after a long lockdown. Come along and enjoy some time outdoors in a tranquil beautiful place. Find out more on the link below.

Book now

This week Painshill will be marking #ClapForOurCarers by lighting up the beautiful follies and bridges in blue. As a tribute to the NHS and all key workers, the Painshill team joins the nation in applauding those working hard in the fight against COVID-19.

Above photography by Oliver Dixon

Lighting up the landscape is only possible due to Prestige Sound and Light who are helping for no charge with Lighting With Intent. Painshill like to thank them for their support.

Everyone at Painshill would like to thank all those working to keep us safe at this difficult time. Please get involved by applauding key workers from your doorstep, balcony or window at 8pm.

A number of regular Painshill visitors have been buying memberships to the gardens and gifting them to local NHS and key workers, as a way of supporting Painshill in their closure and offering a gesture of thanks to someone working in their community. A Painshill Family Membership gives 2 adults and up to 4 children free entry for a year to enjoy the peaceful and historic grounds. Painshill is matching every membership donated so that more families can have wonderful days out to look forward to. If you would like to find out more or nominate a key worker to receive one of these gifts please email marketing@painshill.co.uk.