The Royal Parks Foundation is a registered charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 established in 1993 whose purpose is the protection and preservation of London’s Royal Parks

Royal Parks of London

The Royal Parks of London are lands originally owned by the monarchy of the United Kingdom for the recreation of the royal family...

. The charity’s patron is Charles, Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

.

Deckchair Dreams

As part of its annual fund-raising efforts, the Foundation promotes Deckchair Dreams, through which artists donate individual works of art for the canvases of deck chairs which are reproduced and distributed through the Parks.

Among the artists and celebrities who have contributed to the scheme are Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst

Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...

, Will Young

Will Young

William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...

, Antony Worrall Thompson

Antony Worrall Thompson

Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson is a British celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster.-Biography:...

, Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin

Tracey Karima Emin RA is a British artist of English and Turkish Cypriot origin. She is part of the group known as Britartists or YBAs ....

, Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...

, and Raymond Briggs

Raymond Briggs

Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...

.

Deckchairs from the 2008 collection were recycled into sling bags, made by designer Bill Amberg.

2010

The 2010 collection of deckchairs draws on themes of nuts, fruits and seeds in the parks, and represents a partnership with the Shanghai Botanical Gardens, including designs by British and Chinese artists.

British designers include the milliner Philip Treacy

Philip Treacy

Philip Treacy OBE is an Irish milliner.Born in Ahascragh,in the West of Ireland, he lived with his parents, seven brothers and sister across the road from the village church...

, Rob Kesseler, cartoonists Ronald Searle

Ronald Searle

Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI, is a British artist and cartoonist, best known as the creator of St Trinian's School. He is also the co-author of the Molesworth series....

 and Alexander Williams

Alexander Williams

Alexander "Alex" Williams is an English film animator and cartoonist. He is the son of animator Richard Williams.-Early life:...

, and the wildlife sculptor Simon Gudgeon. Treacy's design features an illustration of model Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista is a Canadian model. She has been featured on over 600 magazine covers and has garnered work on numerous modeling assignments with companies, most recently with L'Oréal.- Early years :...

 wearing one of his hats.

Around 700 chairs have been made available across Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, is one of the Royal Parks of London, lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park. It is shared between the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The park covers an area of 111 hectares .The open spaces...

, Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...

, Green Park

Green Park

-External links:*...

, St. James's Park

St. James's Park

St. James's Park is a 23 hectare park in the City of Westminster, central London - the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St. James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less.- Geographical location :St. James's...

 and Regent’s Park. Sara Lom of the Royal Parks Foundation said it had been "wonderful to partner with Shanghai" on the project.

External links

• Official website of the Royal Parks Foundation Retrieved August 1 2010
• Official website of Deckchair Dreams Retrieved August 1 2010
• Shanghai Botanic Gardens official site Retrieved July 31 2010