‘• A centre for education about the river and broader environment, climate change and sustainability for people of all ages and abilities, provided by Richmond Environment Network, Thames Explorer Trust, River Thames Boat Project, Richmond’s Biodiversity Action Plan, Thames Landscape Strategy, and other organisations.
• A ‘one-stop shop’ offering practical information and news about the River Thames, sustainability and climate change, along with exhibits by the Thames Landscape Strategy and organisations with responsibility for the Thames, and displays giving information on local water-based activities and clubs.
• A hub for environmental volunteering, a home for the Environment Trust, BTCV Richmond and Richmond Environment Network, a base for other environmental voluntary organisations, giving them access to mentoring, advice and equipment, and a centre for volunteer training.
• A home for HANDS (Help a Neighbour in Distress), a charity providing the elderly and housebound with support and opportunities for social interaction, and Richmond Volunteer Centre, matching individuals willing to give their time with organisations looking for support.
• Multipurpose spaces for the activities of all of the above and for many other local organisations, such as Twickenham Rowing Club, and events, such as the Twickenham Festival, as well as a children’s playground, public toilets and a café open to everybody.
• Permanent displays about Twickenham’s river heritage, linking it to river-based sites in the upper Thames, such as the Henley River & Rowing Museum, and the lower Thames, such as the Docklands Museum.
• A boathouse, providing public boat hire, maintenance and repair, practical boatbuilding courses, water safety training, rowing for the young and those with disabilities, work experience for young people, and small boat storage, with a waterfront pontoon to improve access to Twickenham from the river, encourage river use and enable a ferry service linking with Richmond and Teddington.
• All in a flagship sustainable building, showcasing ‘green’ construction methods and wider sustainability.’

See: http://www.rivercentre.org.uk
and
http://www.rivercentre.org.uk/etrut_spring_2009.pdf

It will open in the summer of 2011.