Cutting Garden and Glasshouses at West Dean Gardens

Support Us

Here at West Dean, the extensive gardens and grounds give an enormous amount of pleasure to thousands of visitors every year. You tell us they provide inspiration for your art, ideas for your garden, a place for quiet contemplation and something new and beautiful to see and admire on every visit.

Whatever your reason for enjoying the gardens at West Dean, we know that for you, this is a special place.

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View of the West Dean College from front lawn
Sunken Garden at West Dean Gardens
Gardens Volunteer: Lee Glover

Volunteering

We have recently been overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm of our Gardens supporters and are therefore not currently recruiting new volunteers. If you would like to be considered when we do need some extra help, please detail your experiences, skills and contact details in a note to: [email protected]

Alternatively you can write to us at:

The Edward James Foundation
West Dean
Chichester
West Sussex
PO18 0QZ

My year at West Dean Gardens

"I volunteered one day a week whilst studying for my RHS Level 2 Horticultural Diploma.

The gardens are renowned for their high standard and when I worked there I experienced those high standards for myself and learned a lot. Without any doubt volunteering at West Dean helped me pass my RHS diploma. I believe it must be highly valued by any student of horticulture.

The garden team always gave their time and shared their knowledge with me enthusiastically. I always finished my days at West Dean feeling I had learnt something new.

Volunteering at West Dean offered me a wide range of experience and learning including:

  • In the Glasshouses:
    Watering duties, potting on, cuttings, dead heading, staking, clearing, tidying
  • In the Vegetable Garden:
    Weeding, building structures, harvesting, tieing in
  • In the Orchards:
    Harvesting
  • In the Spring Garden:
    Bulb planting, weeding, pruning, lawn edging, leaf blowing.

I will always be grateful to West Dean Gardens … for the positive and significant contribution they made to my career."

Leigh Glover, Volunteer

Our commitment to best fundraising practice

Our commitment to best fundraising practice is demonstrated by our membership of the Fundraising Regulator's self-regulatory scheme and our adherence to the code. As an organisation registered with the Fundraising Regulator and using the Fundraising Badge ( the logo that says ‘ registered with Fundraising regulator) we are committing to meeting the standards of the code. It means people have confidence in the way we carry out our activities. If we fail to meet the standards of the code, the Fundraising Regulator may take action such as asking us to remove the Fundraising Badge from documents and other fundraising materials.

Our core mission and the trust of our donors are central to all of our fundraising activities and we work in a legal, open, honest and respectful manner with all stakeholders.

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We commit to high standards

  • We adhere to the Fundraising Code of Practice
  • We monitor fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds, to ensure that they comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and with this Promise
  • We comply with the law as it applies to charities and fundraising
  • We display the Fundraising Regulator badge on our fundraising material to show we are committed to good practice

We are clear, honest and open

  • We tell the truth and we do not exaggerate
  • We do what we say we are going to do with donations we receive
  • We are clear about who we are and what we do
  • We give a clear explanation of how donors can make a gift and change a regular donation[HH1] 
  • If we ask a third party to fundraise on our behalf, we will make this relationship and the financial arrangement transparent
  • We can explain our fundraising costs and show how they are in the best interests of our cause if challenged
  • We ensure our complaints process is clear and easily accessible
  • We provide clear and evidence-based reasons for our decisions on complaints

We are respectful

  • We respect the rights and privacy of our donors and prospective donors
  • We will not put undue pressure on our donors or prospective donors to make a gift. If they do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect their decision
  • We have a procedure for dealing with people in vulnerable circumstances and it is available on request
  • Where the law requires, we will gain consent before we contact someone to make a donation
  • If a donor or prospective donor tells us that they don’t want us to contact them in a particular way, we will not do so. 

We are fair and reasonable

  • We treat donors and the public fairly, showing sensitivity and adapting our approach depending on their needs
  • We take care not to use any images or words that intentionally cause distress or anxiety
  • We take care not to cause nuisance or disruption to the public

We are accountable and responsible

  • We manage our resources responsibly and consider the impact of our fundraising on our donors, supporters and the wider public
  • If, for any reason, a donor or perspective donor is unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, we hope they’ll contact us and tell us. We will listen to their feedback and respond appropriately to any compliments or criticism we receive
  • We have a complaints procedure, a copy of which is available on this webpage.  This also explains how to contact the Fundraising Regulator in the event that a donor or prospective donor feels our response is unsatisfactory
  • We monitor and record the number of complaints we receive each year and share this data with the Fundraising Regulator on request

Our fundraising complaints procedure

Our core mission and the trust of our donors are central to all of our fundraising activities.

If you have reason to make a complaint about any aspect of our fundraising activity, you should address your concern directly and in writing to the Fundraising Office.

Email: [email protected]. Post: Fundraising Office, Student Funding and Outreach Manager, West Dean, Chichester, PO18 0QZ.

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The Fundraising Office will investigate your complaint, record it securely and respond promptly and within 14 working days of receipt. If the matter requires further investigation, we will provide you with an update within this time frame.

Please provide as much information as you can to assist us in handling your complaint. At a minimum, please tell us details of your concern or complaint relating to our fundraising practice, as well as provide us with contact details for the best way to contact you to try and resolve your complaint. If you can, please tell us when it happened and the context and what you would like us to do to put things right.

Should you remain dissatisfied, you may forward your concern to the Chief Executive or to the Fundraising Regulator.

The Fundraising Office has a duty to report all concerns to The Board of Trustees who will receive an annual report summarising any complaints received from our donors and prospective donors and the general public about our fundraising practices.

Your personal information
We will use the information you provide us to record and respond to your complaint.