The Friends of Nantgarw China Works Museum is a registered charity and all members are required to pay a membership fee. All Friends act on a voluntary and unpaid basis. Some of their many activities and contributions to the Museum are summarised below.

• The Friends organise a daily rota and act as guides for visitors to the museum.
  
• They also stock and maintain a shop within the Museum. Many of the items have been produced by the Friends.
  
• Each month the Friends arrange specialised lectures on ceramics and related subjects.
  
• They also arrange visits including lectures for interested societies and associations.
  
• Each year antiques fairs are held on site for the public with a special emphasis on Welsh Ceramics.
  
• The Friends have developed a school programme for children in the infant and junior age group. It covers aspects of Art, Industrial and Social History, and Science and includes practical experience of working with clay under the direction of a potter. Since opening 2,000 children, plus teachers, participated in this programme.
  
• Rhondda Cynon Taff Economic Development department has provided a sum of £10,000 match funded by the Friends, towards the cost of building a school room.
• A grant of £10,000 has been received from the Clore Duffield Foundation to equip the schoolroom.
  
• The Friends' Committee meets monthly and produces a quarterly newsletter. They have also published various booklets and a book on Nantgarw Porcelain. The Committee has established a reference library on ceramics which contains several rare and valuable books, some of which have been donated by Friends.
  
• The Museum contains a display of ceramics relating to Nantgarw. Some of these have been purchased by the Friends and others have been generously loaned by Friends.
  
• The Friends have established a Pipe Works Museum in a building on site. A local builder generously provided all materials and labour free of charge.
  
• The Friends are members of The British Association of Friends of Museums, Council for Museums in Wales, Valleys Tourism and the Inland Waterways Association.
• Some Friends attend conferences and visit other museums for fact finding.
• A grant of £10,000 has been received from the Esmée Fairbairn Charitable Trust. This will be used to repair and consolidate the base of Kiln 1 in conjunction with Cadw.