Celebrating Three Years of The Horton
The Horton Epsom is celebrating its third anniversary, having welcomed more than 90,000 visitors through the door since officially opening to the public on 28th April 2022.
What was once a silent, semi-derelict, chapel has become a vibrant venue for arts and heritage.
The former Horton Asylum Chapel was saved by registered charity Horton Chapel Arts & Heritage Society (HCAHS) following a six-year project to raise funds and renovate the building.
The venue has hosted a diverse creative programme of more than 750 events in the last three years – from incredible live music and theatre performances and innovative creative arts workshops to exhibitions, community events, and a free-to-access permanent exhibition about the history of Epsom’s psychiatric hospital cluster and the people who lived and worked there.
Birthday Breakfast
At a special anniversary breakfast, staff and volunteers came together to celebrate the charity’s achievements and enjoy a slice of birthday cake, baked by The Horton’s chef Martin.
Our volunteers and supporters reflected on their own experiences over the last three years:
“Friendships have developed as a result of The Horton.”
“There are so many wonderful things to do here. It makes me feel so happy.”
“It’s great to have somewhere like this in Epsom as a magnet for all the cultural events there are in the world.”
“The Horton is a place where you can leave your troubles at the door.”
“We must keep somewhere like this going. It’s important for the community, history and well-being of people.”
Chair of Trustees, Elaine Sharpe highlighted the contribution of those who work together in many different ways, to ensure The Horton is thriving, and thanked everyone for their commitment to the charity’s vision.
The Horton’s director, Maria Reeves, said: “It has been an incredible three years. We have achieved so much and are proud to be part of the community. Thank you to everyone who has supported us. We have so many more exciting events coming up. We can’t wait to see you at The Horton soon.”
The Horton’s Birthday – a blog by Tom Griffiths, a volunteer at The Horton
Do you know anyone who’s got a birthday in April? Well, now you do because The Horton is celebrating its 3rd birthday on the 28th. Even at a tender age, we’ve achieved more than most people achieve in their lifetime.
We’ve achieved this thanks to the kindness of thousands. Last year, 35,000 people visited The Horton while more than 6,000 people had been to an event that we put on. Thank you to everyone who has been to one of these events.
The productions we have put on have touched upon every aspect of culture. Drama, music and literature show a cultural flair consistently demonstrated through our three years.
Our cultural flair has also evolved into the artistic arena, hosting exhibitions from artists. Our first Summer Exhibition in 2024 proved The Horton’s credentials, and we look forward to doing so again this summer.
We can even accommodate amateur artists, as shown through artwork displayed by children and young people.
We’ve shown our passion for various cultural pursuits through The Horton’s workshops. Book clubs, yoga and life drawing are like muscles that we flex regularly through our weekly events. We use these muscles to bring our community closer together.
Recent achievements include tour-de-force shows into the lives of Sherlock Holmes and Dorian Gray. We’ve even perfected our language, culminating in the fourth Spanish season that was held on the Easter weekend.
We are building a fantastic garden. An accessible path, feature steps, electricity, a wildflower meadow and event lawns have all combined to build a space that is set to come alive in the summer. We wouldn’t have achieved this without the help with planting, of our volunteers.
We also have a great café to shout about, with fantastic roasted coffee to drink either inside or outside. Our bar nights exemplify our talents, with prosecco and cocktails being among our specialities.
From The Horton’s origins as a Grade 2 listed chapel, we have achieved more than the building would ever have anticipated. Our outstanding reviews on Google and TripAdvisor show that our achievements are being noticed. However, we are only kept alive by your support. If you keep showing your kindness by going to the shows and workshops that we produce for the good of the community, then we can stay alive for more years to come.
You could wish us a Happy Birthday by coming to a future event at The Horton. If you bring a friend along who’s never been before, they might demonstrate their kindness to The Horton as well in the future.
Whatever you want to do, The Horton is here for you. I’m sure you’ll want to join me in wishing The Horton many happy returns for its 3rd birthday.
Volunteer Tom Griffiths
