Support Us

Become a part of our story

Visit. Shop. Donate. Volunteer.

BECOME A FRIEND
VOLUNTEER
DONATE
DONATE A COLLECTION
As an independent charitable Trust we receive no government funding so are completely reliant upon admission fees, shop sales, donations, grants and most importantly volunteers who are willing to give up their precious time to help us.

There are many opportunities for volunteers at Dimbola. These include front of house and visitor welcome, tour guides, education projects, gardening and fundraising.
julia dresser replica
wet collodion camera 2
julias bedroom 2
temp exh 2016 9

Become a friend

Help support the Trust

An annual subscription is from as little as £15 and entitles you to:
  • Free year-round admission to the Museum and all exhibitions
  • Annual Friends newsletter
  • 10% discount in the Museum Shop & Tea Room
  • Invites to exhibition previews
To join Next time you visit, please ask to complete the Friends Registration Form.

If you would like to continue your Friends Registration uninterrupted and receive a 10% discount on future subscription fees, please contact us for a Standing Order Mandate along with your Friends registration form.

* Two named people living at one address - you will receive only one card between both of you. ** One named person plus a guest - you will receive only one card. If you lose your card a fee of £5 will be charged for a replacement.

Volunteer

A valued part of our team

We have a fantastic team of people who give up their time to help us. Our valued volunteers fulfill a wide range of roles, from greeting our visitors to assisting with exhibitions and helping at events. There’s something for everyone.

There are some great benefits to being a volunteer, you can:
  • Make a difference to your community
  • Gain work experience and enhance your CV
  • Meet people and make new friends
  • Get involved with exclusive events
Some volunteers come in once or twice a week, others just help out whenever they can - they all make a real difference to Dimbola. There are lots of opportunities including front of house, collections care, gardening, fundraising and events. For more information, please contact us.
SPEAK TO US ABOUT VOLUNTEERING
Please don’t be put off from volunteering because you feel you don’t have enough knowledge about Julia Margaret Cameron or photography. If you have an interest in history, the arts or Victoriana chances are you will be a good fit and all training will be provided.
Eve, Volunteer

Donate

Help to support our work

Dimbola receives no regular funding from central or local government. We are reliant on our visitors and their generosity in supporting the museum’s work. There are several ways you can help.
DONATE AS YOU SHOP
Do you shop online with Amazon, Argos, Tesco, Sainsbury’s or M&S? You can help raise money for Dimbola whenever you shop with them or one of 3,000 other stores, simply by using the Easy Fundraising Website.

Just sign up, search for ‘Dimbola’ and start shopping – it won’t cost you a penny more!
MAKE A DIRECT DONATION
Donations are warmly welcomed by PayPal or direct BACS transfer - the links of which are available below.
PAYPAL
CONTACT US FOR BACS

Donate a collection

Conserve and share

Dimbola is very grateful to those who give objects to our collection. As an Arts Council England Accredited Museum, we are obliged to make sure that acquisitions are in line with our collection policy, and that we have the resources to conserve and store each object properly. As a result, it is not always possible for us to accept donations of objects. However, in the event that we cannot accommodate your gift, we may be able to suggest an alternative recipient, so please do contact us if you have something you would like to give.

We kindly ask that you do not bring or send an unsolicited objects to the museum - instead, we ask that you complete our contact form, then we will consider the suitability of a potential acquisition as quickly as possible.
OUR PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE COLLECTING
Original and/or unique objects, books and papers relating to, associated with and illustrating the life and works of Julia Margaret Cameron, including her influences and those she influenced and objects illustrative of her cultural legacy.

Original and/or unique objects, books and papers relating to the life and works of those people who formed a part of the ‘Freshwater Circle’ and objects illustrative of the cultural legacy of this group.

Original and/or unique objects, books and papers relating to the history of the building(s) now known as Dimbola , which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes the use of the property as a museum.

Original and/or unique objects, books and papers relating to and illustrating the development of photography (including both camera and darkroom equipment and techniques, but excluding cinematography) from its beginning to date, including the use of historical photographic techniques. Please note, we have a large collection of cameras and currently only collecting a small number of particular examples, please contact us for details. We do not collect items related to cinematography.

Original and/or unique objects, books and papers relating to the artistic, social & cultural history of the West Wight from Julia Margaret Cameron’s time to the present day.
CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR COLLECTION