National Trust membership ‘soars’ to five million high

25 Sep 2017 News

The National Trust has said that its membership has “soared” to five million for the first time, with one million new members joining in the last six years. 

It said the total number of visitors was also at a record high, with 24.5 million people paying to visit its properties. 

Tim Parker, chair of the National Trust, said: “We now have more members and visitors than at any time in our history, with a million people joining in just the last six years alone.

“That suggests the country’s love affair with its heritage and great outdoors has never been stronger. In the busy, noisy world we now live in perhaps it’s never been more important to escape to the peace, beauty and inspiration of our places.”

The National Trust was founded in 1895 and it took until 1981 to reach its first million members. 

According to its latest annual report the charity has a membership retention rate of 85 per cent. Membership subscriptions contributed £200m to the charity’s £522m income. 

Defends itself over criticism 

In recent months The National Trust has been criticised over its events to mark the decriminalisation of homosexuality, its role as a landlord, hunting on its land, and even the branding of its Easter egg hunts.  

Parker has now defended the charity’s actions in an interview with the Times on Saturday

Parker told the Times that: “We have always looked after historic houses, gardens and beautiful landscapes. People accuse us of becoming this campaigning organisation but we only campaign for one thing and that is conservation: we are not a campaigner for gay rights. My job is to make sure that what we pass on to the next generation in the next 50 years is in better condition than when we found it.”

 

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