In 1895 our founders, Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley set up the National Trust so that natural and historic places could be protected for future generations. They believed that nature, beauty and history were for everyone and wanted to open up the special places they came to care for, for everyone, for ever. The original values which came together from this trio of pioneers are still at the heart of everything we do 130 years later.
As Europe’s largest conservation charity, we look after special places for the nation to enjoy. We rely on our millions of members, volunteers, staff and supporters to look after everything in our care, including more than 260,000 hectares of land, over 500 historic houses, castles, parks and gardens, 896 miles of coastline and in excess of one million items in our collection.
Last year we welcomed 25 million visitors to our pay-for-entry places, made record conservation investment of £180 million, we had 5.4 million members and volunteers gave us over 3 million hours of their time.
We operate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we are completely independent of the UK Government financially and in terms of governance. We are a charity constituted under a number of Acts of Parliament and are regulated by the Charity Commission.
People and Nature Thriving – our 2025 to 2035 strategy
We are delighted to launch our new strategy which will set our direction and guide our decisions for the next 10 years and beyond.
At its core are three ambitious 2050 goals: to restore nature; to end unequal access to nature, beauty and history; and to inspire millions more people to care and take action. We will work toward them over the next decade.
These are societal shifts that we need to help make if we are to live up to our charitable purpose and leave a thriving natural and cultural world for the next generation.
Since our last strategy in 2015, the world has changed. Nature has plummeted further and faster. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed inequality of access to green space. Heritage and history have taken centre stage in public debates, while funding for local heritage has been squeezed and stretched. Fragmenting communities and declining public trust will only make it harder to fix these problems.
Yet we have more evidence than ever of how nature and heritage enrich our everyday lives. They give us joy and respite, inspire a sense of belonging, and connect us to one another. It is these needs – the universal, everyday needs of people here in the UK – that are at the heart of our plans.
Delivering this strategy will require a monumental effort, and one we certainly can’t make alone. You’ll see us working much more in partnership with others, and much further beyond our own fence lines, in communities, towns and cities.
We’ll look after places and collections with care and pride, and we’ll work harder to make sure they are available and useful to everyone who needs them. Like the National Trust itself, this strategy is a collective endeavour. It has been shaped by the contributions of 70,000 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. And it is built on 130 years of experience and hard work, from generations of people who have given their time, care and support to our cause.
The National Trust has never stood still. In each chapter of our history, we have adapted to the needs of the day.
We hope you too will feel proud of what the National Trust has achieved and ready to join us for the next chapter.