The Kew Society have been awarded a grant from the Council’s Community Fund which allows them to explore ‘step-free access’ options at Kew Gardens Station.

The station serves Kew village, the Royal Botanic Gardens and The National Archives which means the area has millions of visitors each year however, at present - people living with a disability, the elderly and parents commuting to and from the Kew are forced to use stairs.

This prompted The Kew Society to apply to the Community Fund as it needed to obtain enough finances to conduct a study which explored ways in which the station could become more inclusive.

Mobility disability increases with age and at present 13.5 per cent of Richmond residents are over the age of 65 and at least 16 per cent of 25-34 year olds in the Borough have young children who require push chairs.

Kew Ward Councillors, Society Trustees and the Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew have all provided letters of support which were included with the community fund’s application.

The Kew Society now plan to consult with engineers in Autumn to see how the problem can be remedied.