You can be part of 78 Derngate by becoming a volunteer and/or by  joining the Friends of 78 Derngate.

78 Derngate relies on volunteers to keep the house open.  If you would like to learn more please click here.

The Friends of 78 Derngate support and promote the activities of the 78 Derngate Trust in the conservation of the W.J. Bassett-Lowke house as re-modelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

It is our aim to do this by the following means:

• To raise money to support the Trust's activities
• To raise public awareness of and support for these activities
• To engage in research into subjects connected with the properties held by the 78 Derngate Trust

Members of The Friends gain free entry to 78 Derngate and receive a discount of 10% on purchases from the 78 Derngate gift shop.  Members of The Friends also benefit from a regular Newsletter.

The cost of joining The Friends of 78 Derngate and gaining the benefits listed above as well as supporting 78 Derngate is just £15 for an individual, £19 for joint/family, £13 concessionary or £250 for life membership.

Your subscription fee also supports the on-going fundraising project to keep this important historic house open to the public.  The Friends promote 78 Derngate and contribute towards the cost of additions and improvements to the house.

Recently we have contributed to the cost of replicating items of Mackintosh furniture, printed a new edition of the Souvenir Guide, purchased original Bassett-Lowke furniture and improved the frontage of the building.

The picture above shows several pieces of the replica Guest Bedroom furniture towards which the Friends made a substantial contribution.

The Friends organise lectures, town walks, visits to other properties and residential weekends with an architectural theme for the members to enjoy.

Recent trips abroad have included a visit to Darmstadt in Germany which is famous for its artists colony or 'Matildenhohe' where Peter Behrens (architect of New Ways) built his own home in 1901. The Matildenhohe also features the work of Joseph Maria Olbrich who made a name for himself with his Secession buildings in Vienna. 

We travelled to Brussels visiting some wonderful Art Nouveau and Art Deco properties including a Mackintosh inspired house built in 1905 for the architect Paul Cauchie. 

The third picture below is from our visit to Riga.  This is a city with stunning Art Nouveau buildings, many of which were designed by the architect Mikhail Eisenstein.

Closer to home, the Friends have visited Glasgow on pilgrimages to many of the major Mackintosh sites including the Glasgow School of Art.  We also travelled to the Isle of Man to see the work of Arts & Crafts exponents Mackay Baillie Scott and Archibald Knox as well as artefacts from the internment camps where much of the original Mackintosh furniture for 78 was made.

Day trips have included visits to the Arts & Crafts house at Standen, Snowshill Manor in Broadway, William Morris' homes Red House and Kelmscott Manor, Middleton Cheyney Church, Rodmarton Manor and Wightwick Manor.  The last two are pictured below.

Our most recent trip was to Strawberry Hill, Horace Walpole's Gothic Castle. 

Our next trip is to Watt's Gallery on July 31st, 2013.  If you think you might be interested in the trip then please download the flyer at the bottom of the page.

The Friends have members and links abroad.  In 2011 we were delighted to receive a card created from an original design by Peter Behrens from his grandson Till Behrens.  Till is a life member of the Friends of 78 Derngate.

78 Derngate News is an informative and entertaining newsletter produed bi-monthly and is mailed out directly to members. It contains details of all the trips and lectures coming up, has articles and reviews of interest and keeps you up-to-date with what's going on at 78. You can see a sample Newsletter attached below.

The cost of joining The Friends of 78 Derngate is just £15 for an individual, £19 for joint/family, £13 concessionary, £250 for life membership or £325 for joint life membership.

If you would like to join the Friends of 78 Derngate and be part of the team that supports and maintains the property, please complete and return the Membership Form below, call 01604 603 407 or email to friendsof78derngate@gmail.com 

Thank you.

Attachment	Date	Size
Friends Newsletter sample.pdf	17/05/10 3:22 pm	77.75 KB
Friends of 78 Derngate Membership Form.pdf	07/05/12 5:56 pm	191.69 KB
Watts gallery flyer for 78.pdf	11/05/13 12:16 pm	233.4 KB