Restoration of Kingston Drinking fountains

Yesterday we celebrated the unveiling of the Victoria Recreation Ground drinking fountain in Kingston with local residents and Kingston Council.

There were speeches from HOLT Director Dr Nicola Stacey and Mayor Cllr Noel Hadjimichael. 

The Mayor cut the ribbon and filled the first bottle of fresh water from the fountain for many years.

Local residents and council members joined the celebration in support of the project:

“It’s lovely to see it restored and people can use it again. It looks fabulous. I think it’s great after being not in use for so many years. And I really hope it’s used and I’m sure it will be, especially in the summer. To think we used it as children, and my husband as well! It’s just nice to see it up and working again. Brilliant.”

—June, local resident of Kingston borough

Cllr Yogan Yoganathan also commented:

"The Victoria Recreation Ground is very unique to me. We look after it. We are doing excellent developments, new cafes and walkways—we have to be inclusive. People were telling me they're struggling because in summertime, families come through. It's part of community, children and lifting up everything.”

The fountain is Heritage of London Trust's 18^th drinking fountain restoration to date. HOLT and Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames have also restored the King Edward Recreation ground fountain back to working order, see more of our fountain restorations here.

Restoration of Southwark Park Caryatids

We had a fantastic unveiling in Southwark Park this morning to celebrate the restoration of the Caryatids. Many local residents and supporters attended the event, alongside Southwark College and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Mayor of Southwark Sunny Lambe.

There were speeches from Dr Nicola Stacey, local resident Gary Magold, Cabinet Member for Parks and Culture, Councillor Ellie Cumbo and Mayor Sunny Lambe. 

Young people spoke about their experiences being part of HOLT’s Proud Places programme, the importance of learning about local heritage and how it has helped them feel connected to their new country.

Omar, aged 17: “My name is Omar and I am from Sudan. I’m part of the Proud Places programme. I enjoyed learning about the history of our sculptures and how they were part of old Rotherhithe Town Hall. My favourite part was hearing the stories behind them. Learning about our local history is very important because it helps us understand how our community has changed. Look at them – they are beautiful!”

Ribbons around each statue were cut by pupils from Southwark College and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School alongside the Mayor.

Over 170 young people have been involved in the restoration process as part of Proud Places, meeting the stonemasons at work.

The caryatids were sculpted in 1897 by Henry Poole and stood either side of the doorway to Rotherhithe Town Hall on Neptune Street, a grand Victorian civic building later converted into a library in 1905.

During the Second World War the building was bombed six times, leaving it badly damaged. The caryatids were rescued and in 1974 found a new home on the brutalist Heygate Estate off New Kent Road.

When that estate was demolished in 2011, the statues were moved again to Southwark Park, after a campaign led by Gary Magold.

We are thrilled that they have been fully restored for future generations to enjoy. Thanks to all involved and especially to our donors for this project, Knight Frank.

Read more about the project in the press here.

Proud Places reaches 10,000!

Last night we celebrated 10,000 young people through our Proud Places programme at a wonderful event hosted by Jones Day. The room was filled with many Londoners of all ages who have supported the programme over the past five years.

After speeches from our Chair, Sir Laurie Magnus, HOLT Trustee and Partner at Jones Day, John Phillips, Dr Nicola Stacey, Ife Davies and our Proud Places Ambassador Destine Royce Pinzi, a spectacular Proud Places cake was cut by the 10,000th young person to join our programme, Scarlett Spencer.

Gilder Cody Deane and stonemason Max Lawson gave guests a chance to get up close to their traditional skills and to take home their own gold leaf memento.

The Jones Day Foundation has funded the programme since its 2020 inception and with their support we’ve reached our target of 10,000 young people across London involved in site visits, creative and heritage projects. We’ve led over 240 visits or workshops since January alone.

That work is about to grow in a big way. In May 2026 a new Proud Places Hub will open at One Golden Lane in partnership with developer Castleforge. This new cultural space for workshops will occupy the heritage part of the old Cripplegate Institute, offering young people creative learning and support that helps opens doors to future careers. In the spirit of the building’s philanthropic origins, the Hub will be a place to learn, make and explore, where heritage meets community and young people can build confidence and belonging.

Our thanks to the Jones Day Foundation for their continued support, the wonderful Jones Day team who work closely with us and to Castleforge for an amazing new opportunity. Thanks to Futurecity for all their work on this project. We're super proud of this milestone and excited for what comes next.

Read about the Proud Places Hub in the press here.