Compton Verney launches new Community Access Scheme

A new scheme has just launched at Compton Verney whereby groups who face barriers accessing the art gallery and park independently are given the opportunity to do so annually as part of a community.

The Community Access Scheme at Compton Verney is a group annual membership for organisations that provide services directly to people who face barriers to visiting Compton Verney independently. These barriers could be, but are not limited to, physical, sensory, psychological, or social barriers.

Two community groups have already signed up to the scheme. Talk Dementia, who run a monthly Dementia cafe for patients and carers, and Escape Arts, who promote wellbeing in different communities including primary school pupils who recently visited Luminarium at Compton Verney.

We asked the primary school pupils from Escape Arts and the Dementia Cafe visitors what they thought about the scheme.

All 10 of the Dementia Café visitors who answered said that they feel part of a community at Compton Verney and visit anywhere from once a month to every week. It is the ‘friendly faces’ and ‘atmosphere’ from staff, volunteers and within their own community group that they enjoy most about the scheme while the ‘beautiful grounds’, ‘trees’, ‘house’ and ‘exhibitions’ make Compton Verney a special place to keep revisiting.

We asked the primary school pupils, who visited from Escape Arts, to rate Compton Verney out of five stars and we were happy to receive six 5-star reviews plus some 6-and-a-half-star reviews! ‘Because it’s really good and fun’ and ‘I really liked this day’ were among their comments on the scheme with highlights including ‘Luminarium’ and ‘the Chinese Sculptures’.

Find out more about the scheme below or view our other membership options.

Image credit: MotionHouse