Partners

We are grateful to our partner organisations for their continued support of the Gallery, Museum and Library.

Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum 

For over 70 years, the Friends have been dedicated to supporting Alfred East Gallery and Manor House Museum.

Working tirelessly to support Kettering’s Museum and Gallery since the 1950s, the Friends have raised funds that have boosted the enjoyment of the town’s heritage for countless visitors. Their donations have enabled acquisitions of artefacts and artworks, strengthening Kettering’s heritage collections further with exciting and important additions. Through their fundraising efforts, conservation work of collection items has been made possible, ensuring they can be seen for generations to come. Members of the Friends have volunteered their time and energy at Family Fun Days in Manor House Gardens, and they continue to operate the ARTworks shop inside the Newlands Centre. Their series of talks and lectures held at Alfred East Gallery have always been popular.

Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum Logo

Overgrown Garden, (1883, Sir Alfred East)

Through donations by the Friends, it was possible to add Overgrown Garden to Alfred East Gallery’s collection. An oil painting by Sir Alfred East dating from 1883, it is an important early work by Kettering’s most well-known artist and was believed lost for many years.

In 2016, it reappeared at an auction and the Friends successfully part-funded the purchase, securing its place in the town of East’s birth alongside many of his other artworks.

Another acquisition made possible through the work of the Friends was this gold amethyst ring. Dating from the late Roman period in the 3^rd to 4^th centuries and featuring an image of the goddess Minerva engraved onto the gem, it’s distorted by age but still strikingly beautiful. After discovery by a metal detectorist on the Boughton Estate, the ring was purchased by the Friends through the Treasure Act and added to Manor House Museum’s collection in 2017.

A registered charity, Friends of Kettering Art Gallery and Museum are always looking for new members. Find out more by visiting their dedicated website, where you can help their vital work by making a donation or becoming a member yourself.

Visit the website here

Roman Amethyst Ring, c. 300-400AD

Kettering Cultural Consortium logo

Friends of Kettering Library

A group that supports the library service, helping to provide activities and services for the whole community.

Working closely with the Library Manager and staff, Friends of Kettering Library help to raise awareness of our Library and the facilities it provides, as well as organising and supporting a variety of events.

They respond to local and national initiatives on libraries, such as the Summer Reading Challenge, ensuring the continued provision of a library service for residents of Kettering and surrounding areas.

Our Library has so much history, and the Friends have been part of that for decades. Known previously as the Library and Arts Committee, they helped to organise events and activities at the Library, including the 50th anniversary celebrations held in 1954. The current iteration of the Friends group has been serving Kettering Library for over 20 years.