Seven Dials Covent Garden is a unique quarter of London whose star-shaped layout remains as constructed in the early 1690s. It was brought back to life largely through the dedication of the Seven Dials Trust, working in partnership with the local authorities and landowners for nearly forty years.

Most of the projects undertaken by the Trust over the last 30 plus years have arisen from our Seven Dials Renaissance Study which sets out a long term, holistic vision for the maintenance and improvement of this unique neighbourhood. Unlike many studies, ours has not sat gathering dust on a shelf. The Trust has worked with partners in the public and private sectors to implement many of its recommendations.

We are currently working on a new web-based edition of the Renaissance Study, which will update the recommendations for an extended area, crossing the borough boundary down to Long Acre. It will include new material, including extraordinary architectural photographs of every building along with historic images.

“The Seven Dials scheme has been of national importance in changing attitudes to and aspirations for the public realm. For well over a decade it has been used in presentations given throughout the UK to demonstrate what can be done to create a sense of place and to establish an environment where pedestrians and traffic can successfully and positively intermingle” – Robert Huxford, Director Urban Design Group.

The Seven Dials Trust is a small voluntary organisation with a large portfolio of projects. Over the years the Trust has sought and received support from a wide range of local and national agencies, organisations and companies and generous individuals. Simple donations, both modest and munificent, are always gratefully received.

For over 35 years, The Trust has raised funds and received donations and sponsorship from a wide variety of generous individuals, institutions, organisations and companies. 

MAJOR DONORS – (£100,000–£400,000+)

Department of the Environment (preparatory works on the Dials preceding reconstruction of the Sundial Pillar)
Kleinwort Benson Property Fund
Shaftesbury PLC

DONORS – (£10,000–£99,000)

**= indirect support on projects

Carlsberg cans covering the completed Sundial Pillar prior to the official unveiling raised £10,000 for the Monument Appeal and paid for the unveiling shroud and installation.

Carlsberg
Charles Hayward Foundation
Christina Smith Foundation
Department of Culture Media & Sports (DCMS)
Department of the Environment (preparatory works on Sundial Pillar)
De Wynters
Foundation for Sports and the Arts
Greater London Council Historic Buildings Board
Heritage of London Trust
Legal and General Investment Management
London Borough of Camden Community Safety Fund
London Borough of Camden Lighting & Engineering Departments
London Borough of Camden St Giles Section 106 Community Chest Fund
The Mercers’ Company
Mills & Allen
Seven Dials Charity Shop (courtesy of Kleinwort Benson)
Taylor Woodrow Property Company
Westminster City Council (façade lighting)

DONORS – (£5,000–£9,000)

History banners concealing work on cleaning the Pillar and restoring the dial faces.

Almacantar
Bovis PLC
British Land
Comyn Ching & Co
Department of National Heritage
English Heritage (now Historic England)
Greater London Council – The Otis Award
Haslemere Estates plc
London Borough of Camden CIL Fund
Kleinwort Benson Trustees Ltd
Priest Marrians Holdings PLC
Regentcrest PLC
Renton Howard Wood Levine
Rosehaugh
Taylor Woodrow Property Company
TIAA Henderson
WCC St James Ward Fund

DONORS – (£1,000–£4,000)

Alford Hall Monaghan Morris
Bedford Estates
Tom Bendham
BFK Crossrail
David Bieda FRSA
British Land
Foyle Foundation
Garfield Weston Foundation
Good & Chattels
Grosvenor Square Properties Group PLC
Groundwork Camden
Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust
Kleinwort Benson Trustees
The Mercers Co
Merlin International Properties Ltd
Mark Rupert Read
Philips Lighting UK
Priest Marrians Holdings PLC
Robert Holmes a Court Foundation
William Shelton Fund
Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners Charitable Trust
Southern Properties Group
Stanhope PLC
Stoll Moss Theatres Ltd
Taylor Woodrow Property Company Ltd
Kieran Timberlake Associates
Westminster City Council St James's Ward Budget
William & Mary Tercentenary Trust

TIME PLAQUE SPONSORS – (£20,000 with Gift Aid, £25,000 without)

Dave Stewart
Taylor Walker (now Allied Domecq Leisure Ltd)
Kleinwort Benson Property Fund

Interested in sponsoring a Time Plaque?

SUNDIAL SPONSORS – (£10,000 with Gift Aid, £12,500 without)

Cecil Denny Highton & Partners – sponsored Sundial facing South
Hoskyns Group PLC (now Cap Gemini UK PLC) – sponsored Sundial facing 60° West of South
International Banking Information Systems Ltd – sponsored Sundial facing 60° East of South

Interested in sponsoring a Sundial?

PEOPLE’S PLAQUES SPONSORS – (£2,400 with Gift Aid or £3,0000 without) and STREET HISTORY PLAQUES SPONSORS - (£1,200 with Gift Aid or £1,500 without)

Westminster City Council – sponsored Aldridge’s plaque on Upper St Martin's Lane.
LW Theatres (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – sponsored William Hazlitt plaque on Long Acre.
Capital & Counties Plc – sponsored Lionel Lukin plaque on Long Acre.
CBRE Global Investors –sponsored the Earlham Street History Plaque.
Delfont Mackintosh – sponsored Sir John Gielgud plaque on Upper St Martin’s Lane.
Mark Rupert Read (Seven Dials Trustee) – sponsored John Logie Baird plaque on West Street.
Really Useful Group (Andrew Lloyd Webber) – sponsored Nathaniel Westlake plaque on Endell Street.
Anja Saunders (Seven Dials Trustee) – sponsored Syd Barrett plaque on Earlham Street and the Short's Gardens Street History Plaque.
Shaftesbury PLC – sponsored Roxy Club plaque on Neal Street; The Kip plaque on Short’s Gardens; the Cave of Harmony plaque on Earlham Street; and the Seven Dials Street History plaque.
Christina Smith OBE – sponsored Jim Cadbury-Brown plaque; and Ellen Keeley plaque on Neal Street.
Elizabeth Bax – sponsored John Jacob Holtzapffel plaque.
The Mercers’ Company – sponsored John Dryden plaque and the Mercer Street History Plaque.
The Hospital Club – sponsored Zepherina Veitch and Dame Rosalind Paget plaque.

Interested in sponsoring a People's Plaque?

DONORS – (to £900)

Airside Studio;     Tony Aldous;     Allies Morrison;     Mr. Allan;     Sophie Andrea;     Mrs. Dorothy Anson;     John Anstey;    Associated Holdings:   Barclays, West Brompton;     Robert Bargery;     N.J. Barrington;     T. Bendixson;     David Bieda FRSA;     Vanessa Brand;     Burkett Griffiths Scarlett;     R.M. Burton Charitable Settlement;     Miss Butterwick;     Camden Community Festival Fund      Mrs. I. Chaplin;     R.G. Chapman;     John S. Cohen Foundation;     F.W.C. Collins;     Elizabeth Connell;     Covent Garden Area Trust     Theo Crosby;     H.M. Davies;     Mr. Deacon;     K. Dotrice;     Mrs. P.K. Drummond;     Esmée Fairbairn Foundation;     Montagu Evans;     Advantage;     Terry Farrell Partnership;     C.H. Farthing;     Lady Tina Feilden;     Fletcher Priest Architects Charitable Trust;     Frere Cholmeley Charitable Foundation;    Funny Business;   A.D. Garrod;     Peter Glynn-Smith;     Godinton Charitable Trust;     The Goldsmiths’ Company;     Mrs. S. Goodsir;     Miss Grisdale;     Mr. Gulliver;     Simon Harris;     P.F. Haughton;     Hearst Magazines;     Peter Heath;     C.B. Henderson;     R.J. Herd;     J. Hewlett;     Miss Judy Hillman;     Peter Howard;     S.A. Hunt;     Gordon Hunting;     A.P. Hyde-White;     G.L. Jenkins;     Rolfe Judd Planning;     Miss Mary Kent;     Lancs & Yorks Investment Ltd;     Langbourn Property Investment Services;     George Lawson;     D.J. Lockhart;     W. Lyon;     M3 Consulting;     K.P. Mansfield;     M.E.P.C.;     Metropolitan Properties;     Midland Bank PLC, King Street;     Miller Hare;    Miller Management;  W.I. Mitchell;     Mon Plaisir;     Monmouth Coffee House;     T.P. Moulton;     National Bank of Abu Dhabi;     Orpington U3A;     Lord Palumbo;     M. Parry-Burns;     S.G. Pembroke;     Piercey & Co;     H.C. Platt;     L. Pooley;     Psychic Press;     Publica;     Retro Gen;     Lord Reilly;     Sir James Richards;     Dr. H. Roseveare;     Rothschild’s Holdings Charitable Trust;     Royal Society of Arts;     Lord Salisbury Charitable Fund;     Anja Saunders;     Col. R. Seifert;     S.F.A. Ventures;     Ms. Christina Smith;     Colin Smith:     Stoll Moss Theatres;     Mary Shand;     Shaw Associates;  Sidney Torrance;     The Silver Family Charitable Trust;     Squire & Partners;     Victoria Stable;     M.M. Steele;     Steer Davies Gleave;     Alex Stewart;     J.A. Stewart;     Peter Stewart;     Vane Sutton-Vane;     R. Talbot;     Tarrow Randall Rose;     Pat Thomas;     Tibbalds Colbourne;     R.G. Townby;     Tuckermans;     The United Grand Lodge of England;     Rafael Vinoly Architects;     Mr. & Mrs. T. Wacher;     M.A. Walking;     Cynthia Walters & Michael Cohen;     Humphrey Whitbread Trust;     Andrew Wilson;     Lady Caro Wilson;     David Witty;     Bob Woodman;     Young Georgians;     ZGF Architects (USA).

YEAR DONORS from 1694 to present – (£400 each with Gift Aid, or £500 without)