The National Trust is undergoing a review of its Council, which appoints trustees and holds them to account, calling on organisations to put forward representatives by Monday.

The current Council has 26 elected National Trust members and 26 representative members from 26 separate organisations covering all interests of the National Trust from museums to wildlife. 

National Trust deputy Secretary Jo Cook advised that some 50 organisations have been recommended by the Trust's members to submit applications and a handful of other organisations have put themselves forward for representation so far.

The review, which takes place every six years, will conclude in early 2012. Organisations which have put forward a representative (by emailing Paul Boniface at [email protected]) will have their fate decided by the National Trust membership with the results announced at the charity's AGM next year. 

Paul Boniface, Secretary at the National Trust said: "We are looking for people from organisations from across the broad range of areas that we cover from managing the coast and looking after important historic collections to reflecting the important role that volunteers play in our work."

Cook advised that those organisations applying must satisfy three criteria: they must be able to prove that the scope of their work is of national interest, that they are relevant to the interests of the National Trust, and the representative they appoint must have the extent of experience necessary to deal with Council matters.