The Friends of Sherborne Trust was formed as a charitable Trust in the 1990’s. Its purpose was to support Sherborne House by providing an ample supply of volunteers to man the Exhibitions and raise money as and when it was needed by the Trust. This it successfully did as well as laying the foundation of an endowment fund and raising the £60,000 required for the cleaning and conservation of the Thornhill staircase mural in Sherborne House.

In the midst of it all, Sir Nevil Macready gave the Friends the now famous Sherborne House Dickens/Macready Screen. Before the House re-opens for exhibitions, the decision was made to repair the screen and in less than a year, the Friends have raised £20,000 for its cleaning, repair and conservation, and its public display.