Community
Access
Scheme

Organisations who provide services to people who face barriers to visiting independently;

• older people who require support

• people aged 17 – 25 (under 18’s are free)

• people who have a learning, physical and/or sensory impairment

• people who have mental health conditions

• people living with dementia

• members of society who are otherwise marginalized, excluded, vulnerable or isolated

Your organisation must also be one of the following:

• a registered charity

• a community interest company (CIC)

• a community benefit society

• an organisation that provides services directly to people who face barriers to visiting Compton Verney

– Access to high quality art exhibitions and green spaces during opening hours
– A place for you and your group to visit together
– Member newsletters
– Free car parking
– Group service users can visit without essential carers where deemed appropriate by the group

The membership is valid for 12 months or when you reach the total number of 60 admissions.

Applicants can pay for their membership by BACs or credit card.

Please wait for the application to be approved before sending a payment. We will contact you to confirm if your application has been successful.

Please contact us on info@comptonverney.org.uk or call 01926 645 500

Adults service users and accompanying staff, volunteers and essential carers or personal assistants.

Under 18’s do not count towards visitor admissions. Children are admitted free of charge and therefore do not account for your visitor admissions.

Yes, group service users can visit without essential carers or personal assistants where deemed appropriate by the group. Please note, a service users visit will count towards the use of the group total admissions allowance. If the service user is visiting with other people who don’t attend the group, general day admission and entry price to Compton Verney applies.

Our scheme is designed to provide opportunities for service users and therefore admissions cannot be offered to staff or volunteers who are not accompanying service users.

There is no limit to group size when visiting Compton Verney. However, please let us know a week in advance if you are bringing a group of 15 people or more so we can ensure we have everything ready for your group.

All groups will have to enter Compton Verney as normal via the Welcome Centre, and this could involve queuing time for larger groups.

Please, bear in mind that we may not have the capacity to offer bespoke support to
groups, at short notice.

Any unused admissions during a membership period cannot be carried over after the 12- month expiry date. You can check how many admissions you have remaining by emailing info@comptonverney.org.uk or phoning 01926 645 500

The CAS membership will need to be renewed you can do this by contacting: info@comptonverney.org.uk or phoning 01926 645 500. The renewal price is £25 (incl vat) for 60 admissions.

You will need proof of membership when entering Compton Verney. which includes your membership number, to show to staff on the day. Members who cannot show proof of membership may be required to pay an entrance fee, which will not be refunded.

Be prepared to let the staff at the welcome centre know number of adults, under 18’s, essential carers or personal assistants etc.

As visits will usually involve walking (including over uneven or grassy terrain) we strongly recommend that visitors wear comfortable footwear.

We suggest that you consider the weather when preparing for your visit. We recommend bringing an umbrella and raincoat in case of wet weather, an extra layer to ensure you stay warm in cooler weather, or sun cream, a refillable water bottle and a hat in the case of particularly hot weather. You can refill bottle of water in the café.

It is your responsibility to carry out a risk assessment for your own visit. You can request a copy of our school group risk assessment as an example to help you. Each community group is responsible for preparing their own assessment

Members should be aware that:
• The journey from the car park to the gallery is a 7-minute walk, however, we do provide a free shuttle bus service from the welcome centre to the gallery. The shuttle bus has a wheel chair accessible lift.
• The site contains areas of deep water.
• CCTV is in use at all times, recorded and monitored.
• First aid incidents should be reported to a member of Compton Verney team in the first instance, who can then coordinate emergency services as required
• Heavy machinery and vehicles can be in use throughout the grounds.
• We welcome dog walking in the grounds but not in the galleries or Forest School area, please refer to our dog walking policy. Assistance guide dogs are welcome everywhere.
• Not all of our outdoor events are fully accessible. Accessibility of each event will be outlined on the website or please call us if you have a specific enquiry. 01926 645500
• If your group requires a quiet space, please get in touch by contacting info@comptonverney.org.uk we cannot guarantee spaces will be available however, we will do our best to support your visit.

Please send requests with as much advance notice as possible. Compton Verney will complete a risk assessment for any of the Compton Verney delivered learning programmes. If you are taking part in any of our learning programmes and would like a copy of the risk assessment, then please let us know by emailing us at learning@comptonverney.org.uk

Yes, all recognised guide, assistance, or service dogs – including assistance dogs in training – are welcome. We ask that they are recognisable, with a lead or harness that identifies them as working.

We have two wheelchairs available to borrow. Please let us know in advance if you would like to borrow them by contacting info@comptonverney.org.uk or 01926 645 500. Unfortunately, we do not have any mobility scooters.

You can find the recommended ratios under the “Additional Obligations” section of our CAS terms and conditions.

Groups are welcome to bring their own food and drinks and can picnic in the designated picnic areas. If your group requires an indoor space for lunch please contact us on info@comptonverney.org.uk or 01926 645 500. We cannot guarantee there will be a space available. Pack lunches cannot be eaten in the café.

Events and workshops require an additional ticket separate from a general entry ticket and are not part of the Community Access Scheme offer.

Our Community and Access Learning Programmes offer a wide and varied range of tours, walks, workshops and courses which are open to CAS groups. You can find more information, including how to book, on the Community and Access Learning Programmes at Kew page on our website. You will also receive quarterly newsletters as part of your membership, highlighting some of these offers and letting you know about free events taking place in the Gardens.