Run by
Skylarks staff and volunteers
Dorich House Museum, Kingston is transforming their ground floor Plaster Studio into a festive grotto and welcoming children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and their siblings to meet Father Christmas. We are delighted to have been offered a special timeslot for Skylarks families to see Santa there on Sunday 7th December between 12 and 1pm.
- The session is 60 minutes long.
- To keep the environment calm, there will be no more than six families in the session.
- Families are welcome to arrive before their session and/or to stay afterwards to enjoy creative and festive activities in the first floor Modelling Studio. You will also be able to explore the Museum.
- Please note that the Grotto opens at midday, so our group will be the first to attend. The grotto opens to the public at 1pm
- The elves will be on hand to take photographs with your phones and cameras.
- Every child will receive a small gift.
- Festive dress is encouraged!
Booking
Please book every child who will be attending in. Please also provide more details of all children and young people attending in the notes box - this will be helpful for Father Christmas to connect with them. Please let us know:
- Special interests or anecdotes
- Preferred communication styles (Father Christmas is happy to use Makaton and visual aids)
- Anything else you would like us to know about your child or have Father Christmas relay
*Fair access policy: Please only book your children into ONE of our Santa events this Christmas, whether this is face-to-face or by Zoom, to allow others to see Father Christmas too* If you book more than one event, we will unfortunately have to cancel one of your bookings, but we will always try to contact you first.
How to find Dorich House Museum, Kingston
By Train & Bus: From Kingston station take bus 85 or K3 from Cromwell Road bus station. From Putney Station take bus 85 (direction Kingston). The stop for Dorich House Museum is Woodview Close.
By Car: The Museum is on Kingston Vale, close to Robin Hood Roundabout on the A3. From the A3 take the A308 exit, marked Kingston. Free parking onsite.
By Bicycle: Bike racks are located at the rear of the building, designed by Fabien Cappello as part of the Stanley Picker Gallery Fellowship.
Accessibility
The museum is located over four floors. The grotto will be based on the ground floor, made accessible for wheelchair users via a back entrance, and the activity space will be located on the first floor Modelling Studio. There are 78 steps to the top floor, which is accessed via a narrow staircase. Please note that there are changes in the level of the steps, though we do have handrails. The museum currently has no wheelchair accessible toilets. Please feel welcome to
contact the museum if you have any questions in advance of your visit.
Refreshments provided and personal snacks are welcome onsite (no nuts please).
