Governance

Chiswick House and Gardens Trust is a registered charity (no. 1109239) which manages the Grade I-listed and Scheduled Ancient Monument – Chiswick House. In addition, we manage the 65-acre Grade I, award-winning Gardens and 21 listed garden buildings and statues, on behalf of English Heritage and London Borough of Hounslow.

We are proud that Chiswick House and Gardens are internationally recognised as a place of historic significance in architectural and garden history.

We also care for and manage the Grade I-listed Conservatory which was designed by the architect Samuel Ware in 1813 and substantially remodelled in about 1930. The Conservatory houses the largest collection of heritage camellias under glass in the world.

The Walled Garden we also care for dates back to 1682 and was converted into a community Kitchen Garden by a group of local volunteers in 2005 – it is now a vital community outreach resource.

Our vision and aims

We decided that is important that we set out a future path, for ourselves, funders and supporters. We shared our draft strategy in September 2020 in the midst of the pandemic – and thank all of those who took the time to read and feedback. We set out a renewed Vision: to be a place for everyone every day; and a new Mission: to conserve our historic, horticultural, and natural heritage for our visitors, sustain and improve our biodiversity, and support our local community’s health and wellbeing.

Bringing clarity to why we exist and our purpose has helped us, throughout the pandemic, to focus on making choices that have broadened our reach, made us more relevant to more people, and enhanced our natural environment.

We are pleased to publish our Strategy which sets out our plans for Chiswick House and Gardens Trust over the next ten years.

Download the Ten Year Strategy.

Our vision is to be a special place to delight, educate and be inspired by our 300 years of stories of influence, design and environment.

For everyone every day.

And our mission is to conserve our historic, horticultural and natural heritage for our visitors; sustain and improve our biodiversity and support our local community’s health and wellbeing.

This strategy, along with our continued focus on fundraising, will help to secure our short-term future for our daily visitors while we build more long-term financial sustainability. This will allow us to continue investing in our community outreach, public programme and learning activities to broaden our reach and diversity.

In the meantime we remain absolutely committed to keeping our gardens open – for everyone, every day.

The Trust

Chiswick House and Gardens Trust was set up in April 2005 to oversee the restoration, management and protection of this important historic site in west London.

The Trust, a registered charity, was created jointly by English Heritage and the London Borough of Hounslow in order to integrate the management of Chiswick House and Gardens.

The Trust is dedicated to the protection and enhancement of this outstanding Grade I-listed villa and registered Grade I gardens, which have been enjoyed as a public park since 1929.

The Board

Our board oversees the management and monitors the performance of the charitable trust.

They help to ensure we meet our stated objective to advance education by the preservation, restoration, maintenance, repair and enhancement of Chiswick House and its Gardens, for the benefit of the public and of the historical and architectural heritage of England.

Our current board are listed below.

Meet our Board

Lycia Lobo (Acting Chair)

Lycia is Chief Operating Officer at the Design Museum overseeing commercial activity, visitor services, technology, estates and capital projects. She has over 25 years’ experience working within both the high-street and heritage/charity sector for organisations such as English Heritage, the V&A and Signet. Lycia chairs the Queer Britain Museum trading board and is a non-executive director for Charles Dickens Museum trading subsidiary. Lycia is a local resident, living in Chiswick.

Vicky Taylor (Vice Chair)

Vicky started her career working for local Newspapers in Newcastle and has been a journalist for over 30 years, working for influential news channels, including the BBC as a Producer and Editor, covering a range of news and current affairs, from Newsnight, Breakfast, Political Programmes and News online. In 2008, Vicky joined Channel 4 as a Commissioning Editor in News and Current Affairs. Vicky now works as a Freelance journalist and writer and has resided in Chiswick for over 30 years.

Jeremy Ashbee

Jeremy is the nominated Trustee by English Heritage. He is Head Curator of Properties at English Heritage. He is responsible for advising on the conservation and presentation of the 420 historic buildings, ancient monuments and historic landscapes of the National Heritage Collection. He is an archaeologist and architectural historian, with specific research interests in castles and palaces of the Middle Ages.

Jack Brill

Jack is a nominated trustee by English Heritage. Jack is the Operations Director for the London Region for English Heritage, responsible for the properties, statues and monuments within London. Jack previously worked at Windsor Castle for the Royal Collection Trust, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Barbican.

Heather Clark Charrington

Heather is Director of Audiences at Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest multi-arts centre. She leads the marketing, digital, design, communications, visitor experience and ticketing teams and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Heather has over 25 years experience in marketing and communications, with previous roles at English National Ballet, National Theatre, Natural History Museum, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, August Wilson Center. Heather is also a Trustee of Sports Aid and member of the International Visiting Committee at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania.

Councillor Amy Croft

Councillor Amy Croft became a trustee in June 2022 and is the nominated trustee from London Borough of Hounslow, and a ward Councillor for Chiswick Riverside. She is an Academic Director of Quality and Engagement at a University based in London, and has a background in legal education. As part of her Council responsibilities she holds Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee and sits on the Audit and Governance Committee. Amy is also a trustee of Chiswick Pier Trust.

Sebastian Edwards

Sebastian has been the Deputy Chief Curator and Head of Collections at Historic Places for over 20 years. He was the curator for exhibitions on royal beds and the gardener Capability Brown. He has also worked in the private world of King Henty VIII at Hampton Court and was a curator for English Heritage's historic houses.

Kauser Fadal

Kauser is a solicitor specialising in family law with a particular interest in Child Protection and Safeguarding. As a former Chiswick Community School student and longtime Brentford resident, she is familiar with the local area and has spent a considerable amount of time in her youth in and around the gardens. Kauser has significant experience in community engagement and development in the context of Policing having previously chaired the Metropolitan Police's Greater London Somali Independent Advisory Group from 2020 to 2023.

Clare Hebbes

Clare is an experienced property professional having worked on a wide range of projects over the last 25 years. Much of this has been focused on large scale regeneration delivering employment, homes and public spaces for local and wider communities. Whilst physical projects can't create a community, Clare believes they can support them and this is why it is so important to get them right.

Naz Hussain

Naz is a Chiswick based bank treasurer with experience across a range of financial institutions in London and abroad. He currently works for an international bank in the city advising on financial governance matters. Naz is a qualified chartered account and CFA.

Councillor John Todd

Councillor John Todd is the nominated Trustee by London Borough of Hounslow. He is a former Senior Officer for the City of London Police. He has worked as Head of EU/UN Fraud Unity for UNMIK in Pristina, Kosovo, and was elected Councillor for Hounslow in 2006, representing the Chiswick Homefields Ward. During this period, John has chaired the Pension Fund Panel, involved in Hounslow Council’s Audit Work, Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Planning Committee, and Chiswick Area Forum. John is also a former member of the independent monitoring board at HM Prison, Wormwood Scrubs, and was a Director at Habitat for Humanity in Southwark.

Simon Toomer

Simon has spent his working life as a forester, arboriculturist and botanist. He is Curator of Living Collections at Kew Gardens and was formerly Director of The National Arboretum at Westonbirt, and Senior Consultant for Plant Conservation with the National Trust. Simon’s particular interests lie in the management and conservation of garden and parkland landscapes and their plant collections. He recently wrote the Landscape Succession Plan for Kew Gardens and is author of 3 books on trees and gardens curation.

Taz Virdee

Taz is the Chief Executive of C-Change West London and Director of Elevate Community Productions, both legacies of the Heston West Big Local programme. With over 15 years of experience, he is an experienced community leader involved in the non-profit, environmental, housing, and education sectors across West London. Taz has played key roles in supporting disadvantaged communities, managing projects, securing funding, and empowering volunteers. He also serves on various advisory bodies and school boards, continuing his commitment to promoting inclusion and positive change within the community.

Jimmy Weir

Jimmy is the Chair of the Development Committee. He has worked in senior financial and operational roles in media and retail businesses for over 30 years. He started his career in Edinburgh and after roles in France, Hong Kong, Japan and Poland he returned to London and now lives in Grove Park in Chiswick and is a regular visitor to Chiswick House with his family and dog. He is a Trustee of Hounslow Community Rowing Trust, based in Brentford and most recently was the Chief Financial Officer of Direct Wines, a family owned producer and wine merchant.

Our senior management team

Xanthe Arvanitakis - Director

Xanthe is an experienced cultural leader in the heritage sector. In March 2020 she took up the role of Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust – with the brief to develop the future plan for the Trust responsible for 65 acres of grade 1 listed gardens and house. Previously she was Interim Director of Visitor Experience, Marketing and Commercial Services at the Old Royal Naval College. Most recently she led the launch of the new visitor experience with the re-opening of the Painted Hall following a £8.4million award winning conservation initiative. From 2011 to 2015 she was Director of Commercial and Operations at the Sir John Soane’s Museum where she also led a transformation project. An early career in tech, working for WPP an international marketing company, saw the successful growth and merger of two award-winning digital agencies. Xanthe is also a trustee of UP Projects.

Rosie Fyles - Head of Gardens

Rosie has previously worked as the Head Gardener of Ham House and also had a career in communications, running her own agency and working internationally before retraining in garden management. Rosie has experience of leading a garden that is open to the public and has been a National Trust ‘Garden Champion’, guiding other head gardeners. At Ham House, Rosie and her team received numerous accolades for their transformative, creative and nature-friendly gardening in an historic context, appearing in broadcast and print media. Rosie has written for ‘The Sunday Times’ and ‘Gardens Illustrated’, and has just finished a monthly series on historic gardening styles for ‘Period Living’ magazine. Rosie is a Trustee of Silent Space, a charity that promotes peaceful time in green spaces.

Ekaete Onipinla - Head of Finance

Ekaete joined the Chiswick House team in April 2024. She is a part-qualified CIMA accountant and has worked in various industries over the past 25 years particularly in Education having worked at ArtsEd also in Chiswick for over 11 years as the Financial Controller and Payroll Manager. Ekaete is very keen to bring her accounting experiences and take on the challenges of leading the Finance team in a dynamic and well-loved organisation that is committed to serving its local community.

Nicki Thomas - Head of Commercial

Nicki re-joined Chiswick House & Gardens in January 2020 as Head of Commercial having previously been Head of Events & Marketing at CHGT from 2014 – 2017. Prior to this Nicki spent time at Kew Gardens and 16 years in Investment Banking as Head of Events & Marketing. She is a highly talented commercial, events and marketing specialist with over 20 years’ senior event management experience. Expertise in producing world-class events, exceeding income targets, delivering strong brand values and an exceptional client experience. Committed to providing exceptional quality of service in an enthusiastic and positive manner. Living locally and having a young family Nicki brings a wealth of knowledge of the local market and audience.

Sue Sandle - Head of Development

Sue joined the Chiswick House team as Head of Development in June 2023. She is an experienced fundraiser and marketing professional with a broad portfolio of skills developed during a career encompassing charitable, educational and corporate sectors. With expertise in philanthropic giving, trusts and foundations and membership schemes, Sue joined from another great Chiswick institution, ArtsEd, where she was Director of Development & Marketing for seven years. Prior to that she was Deputy Director of Development at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, a role that followed several years working as a fundraising consultant. As an Acton resident for over thirty years, Sue has long enjoyed the many delights of the House and Garden and looks forward to connecting more people with all that it has to offer.

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Governance

Our vision and aims

Our vision is to be a special place to delight, educate and be inspired by our 300 years of stories of influence, design and environment.

For everyone every day.

The Trust

The Board

Meet our Board

Lycia Lobo (Acting Chair)

Vicky Taylor (Vice Chair)

Jeremy Ashbee

Jack Brill

Heather Clark Charrington

Councillor Amy Croft

Sebastian Edwards

Kauser Fadal

Clare Hebbes

Naz Hussain

Councillor John Todd

Simon Toomer

Taz Virdee

Jimmy Weir

Company Information

Our senior management team

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