Community Engagement
- Richard Young
- Oct 28
- 6 min read
We regularly engage with the community in the Wokingham area as we believe it's extremely important to bring art to as many people as possible. Art is engaging and it's essential for our health and happiness.
We are very fortunate to be able to give something back to the community and simultaneously raise awareness of who we are and what we do. We also really enjoy it!
Here's a list of our recent activities...
1. June 2026 - Wokingham Plein Air Art Competition
Currently in the planning stage but it will be very large, engaging and fun! Watch this space and if you are an Artist who would like to participate, or a business who would like to get involved with or sponsor this fantastic event, please get in touch…
2. October 2025 - Art Auction for the Link Visiting Scheme
During our anniversary celebration in October, we conducted a live painting session following which the painting was auctioned and subsequently framed in aid of the Wokingham Link Visiting Scheme.
3. October - November 2024 - Charity Support for the Link Visiting Scheme
During our anniversary celebration in October, we conducted a live painting session following which the painting was framed and auctioned in aid of the Wokingham Link Visiting Scheme.
We later conducted an art event painting class in Kings Church in aid of the charity. Once again the artist's painting was framed and auctioned in aid of the charity.
Throughout the year, when we conduct minor art services instead of charging the customers, we request a donation in aid of the charity.
4. September 2024 - Dormy House Children's Art Competition
We helped organise, judged and donated prizes for a children's art competition within the Dormy House Care Home in Sunningdale for the residents.
5. May 2024 - The Wokingham Map of Independent Businesses and Attractions
A Free, fun and artistic map of Wokingham town centre featuring 39 local independent businesses and feature attractions. Maps are available from each business, also local hotels, the railway station, Town Hall, Waterstones, Nirvana Spa, Wokingham and Borough libraries, Shinfield community centre. We produced 50,000 maps in all and we will shortly produce the next edition!
6. March 2024 - Guest Speaker for the Yateley Camera Club
We gave an in depth and informative talk for Yateley Camera Club members as guest speaker on the subject of Print Preparation, leading up to their annual exhibition.
7. June 2022 - March 2025 - Work Experience for local 6th Form Colleges
a) March 2025 - Farnborough College of Technology
b) March 2024 - St Crispins School 6th Form
c) July 2023 - Edgebarrow School 6th Form
d) July 2022 - Edgebarrow School 6th Form
e) June 2022 - Charters School in Ascot 6th Form
Each year we take on one or more work experience students from a local college and put them through formal, structured intensive training in gallery operations which comprises of as many of the following as we can possibly squeeze in:
Opening and closing the gallery, customer services, hanging artwork, taking a framing order, frame routing, underpinning and assembly, scanning artwork, giclée printing, dry mounting, hand embellishment and art event painting classes.
This is far removed from making coffee!
Two of the students were offered employment following the assignment and one worked with us for almost a year part time.
8. December 2023 - Peach Place Historic Wokingham Display Cabinets
In conjunction with Vail Williams and WBC, we designed, digitally restored, printed and installed historic images of Wokingham in two A1 size wall cabinets.
Cabinet 1 has nostalgic images of streets around Peach Place - Peach Street, Rose Street, Broad Street and Market Place.
Cabinet 2 has nostalgic aerial images of Peach place approximately 50 years ago in 1976 and approximately 100 years ago in 1928
9. November 2019 - September 2023 - Contemporary Art Fairs - Prince's Trust charity
At each of 11 art fairs in Newbury, Windsor and Surrey we created and donated two original oil paintings to be sold in aid of the Prince's Trust charity.
9. July 2023 - Wokingham In Bloom Art Competition and support
For the Britain in Bloom competition, for which Wokingham were a UK Finalist and won several categories of prizes, we helped organise, judged and sponsored all prizes for the 'Wokingham in Bloom' art competition.
We scanned and reproduced the artwork of all shortlisted finalists for display in empty retail units around the town.
We created a huge 170cm x 170cm floral mosaic of Marilyn Monroe, comprising of 2,000 silk peonies which was unveiled by the Town Mayor in the present of the national RHS judges during their visit to the gallery.
10. May 2023 - Spring Exhibition - Prince's Trust Charity
We conducted a Spring Exhibition which included a live painting session following which the painting was sold in aid of the Prince's Trust charity.
One of the King's paintings was on display and 10% of all sales was also donated to the charity.
Throughout the year, when we conduct minor art services instead of charging the customers, we request a donation in aid of the charity.
11. April 2023 - Alexandra Court Historic Wokingham Display
In conjunction with Vail Williams and WBC, we designed, printed and installed historic images of Wokingham in four A3 size wall cabinets
12. February 2023 - Erfstadt Court Art Installation
We acted a consultant, scanned the original commissioned art and produced the 3 large art panels that are installed in Erfstadt Court, Wokingham.
13. January 2019 - December 2022 - Charity Art Exhibition - Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
We conducted a number of art exhibitions throughout the hospital with 25% of all sales being donated to the RBH Voluntary Services charity. Almost £1,000 was raised for a very worthy cause.
14. December 2022 - West London NHS Trust - Artist of the Year Charity Art Competition
We helped organise, hosted in our gallery, judged and donated prizes for a NHS art competition from within the gallery.
15. November 2022 - Guest Speaker for the Wokingham Camera Club
We gave an engaging and informative talk as guest speaker on the subjects of Printing, Presenting, Selling, Marketing and Licensing photographic / artwork images.
16. November 2020 - Anonymous heART Project charity auction
We created and donated three original paintings to be auctioned in aid of Heart Research UK in Leeds.
17. January 2020 - Art Of Caring charity art exhibition
We donated art for the Art Of Caring charity art exhibitions held be at St George's Hospital (Tooting) and St Pancras Hospital in London.
18. General Charity contributions
Since opening the gallery, we've given dozens or prints and gift vouchers for local charities, schools and fund-raising events. Too many to mention.
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