Absolutely Fabulous actress Julia Sawalha and historian Adrian Tinniswood will formally launch the No.1 Fan Club, a new Bath Preservation Trust initiative to raise vital funding for No. 1 Royal Crescent and help the conservation the key city landmark.
The club, launched next Tuesday at the nearby Royal Crescent Hotel, aims to raise £200,000 to sympathetically conserve the building’s historic paintings and prints, acquire period furnishings and dress the interior
Members can join the club with easy-to-pay £50 monthly donations over two years. Membership benefits will include two annual champagne receptions and yearly lectures by specialist speakers and two years’ membership of Bath Preservation Trust (including free access to its four museums)
The No.1 Fan Club has already raised £32,000 through membership and the Trust now aims to bring it to a wider audience.
No.1 Fan Club is a key part of the Trust's ambitious £5m The Whole Story project, designed to give No.1 Royal Crescent a much-needed face lift, create a dedicated education centre and purchase and restore its service wing with its original Georgian kitchen.
Once completed, the project will double the number of rooms on show to 10, provide improved access for people with disabilities and preserve the fabric and collection, amongst other benefits. So far, the Trust has raised more than £4.5m towards its target, including funding from the Brownsword Charitable Foundation and the Heritage Lottery Fund, leaving a £500,000 to realise.
