Dunford House, which stands near Midhurst in West Sussex, was the birthplace and home of the Liberal statesman Richard Cobden.
In 1952 the Cobden family gifted the estate to the YMCA to use as a means to further its educational purposes. The YMCA has sold much of the estate over the years - buildings, land and artefacts.
It is now looking to sell the house, probably for conversion into flats, to fund its educational activities elsewhere.
Today I heard from Richard Cobden’s great great great grandson Nick Cobden Wright. He told me that the newly established Cobden Foundation has alternative plans for the house which would see it serve as a conference centre, tea shop and museum..
The idea, Nick said, is for Dunford House to become a beacon for Liberalism and help a number of less fortunate groups: the elderly, young people and those on low incomes.
The Trust is now raising the money to purchase the house from the YMCA.
You can read more about the plan, and some recent press coverage, on the Cobden Foundation website.
If you want to pledge a donation, then contact Nick via the website.
Anything that helps rescue Cobden's reputation from the clammy hands of Steve Baker's "Cobden Centre" thinktank would be a good thing!
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