We all have a place we love. A place that inspires us. A place with its own unique and particular atmosphere. We were created to help people make the most of these very special places - and the good things that come from them.
We're independent of Government and receive no direct grant or subsidy for our core work. Instead, our future depends on the active support and generosity of 5.5 million members, 20 million visitors, 60,000 volunteers and over 11000 people who work with us (as well as thousands who help us seasonally), as well as benefactors, tenants and other partners.
Today, we're Europe's largest conservation organisation, with huge - and incredibly varied - responsibilities. We protect and welcome everyone to explore and enjoy some 709 miles of coastline, 250,000 hectares of land of outstanding natural beauty, 104 nature reserves, 6 World Heritage Sites and much, much more besides.
We want every one of our visitors to enjoy these amazing places and have an experience they'll never forget. We want them to try something they've never tried before, to gain a unique glimpse into the past and, ultimately, to love these special places as much as we do.
The National Trust is committed to promoting and preserving those places of natural beauty and historic interest for which it has the privilege to be responsible for the benefit of the nation, for everyone for ever.
Protecting nature, beauty and history
The Trust is proud of what has been achieved since 1895 and is determined to maintain those high standards of conservation, stewardship and curatorial care for which it has been recognised throughout the world.
Its achievements have enabled the general public and the Trust’s members and visitors to enjoy and appreciate the countryside, coastline, gardens, historic buildings and collections, all of which encapsulate so much of the history of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is a duty to tell that history in a complete, balanced and accurate way, and without judgement.
The National Trust continues as a guardian of the past, and for the future, to uphold its duty to maintain and enhance what has been entrusted to its care.
Looking after the places in our care
In our ongoing strategy, we want to continue to maintain these high standards of care for everything you help us look after, while working in a way that feels relevant and necessary to people and their day-to-day lives. We want to equip everyone in the National Trust with the skills and resources they need to do their jobs with ease and confidence, and to feel proud of our work.
Our strategy 'For everyone, for ever', which will take the organisation through to 2025, outlines how we will achieve this. Our 21st-century ambition is to play a major role in the fight against climate change, meet the needs of an environment under pressure, and the challenges and expectations of a fast-moving world. Underpinning this is our renewed commitment to diversity and inclusion and playing our part to create a fair, equal society, free from discrimination.
We will:
Look after the places in our care by:
Play our part in restoring a healthy, beautiful natural environment by:
Create experiences of our places that move, teach and inspire by:
Help look after the places where people live, by:
Welcome everyone, for ever, by:
Our staff, volunteers, members, donors and supporters will all help us to achieve this, and over the coming years we will: improve our membership offer; give visitors better experiences; introduce simpler and more efficient processes for our staff; and create more ways to volunteer and for volunteers to feel their skills are recognised.
