A
@nationaltrust
volunteer writes:
'Today I have been forced regrettably to resign from my volunteer role as I refused to carry out the diversity training.
I was advised that the training must be done but I should consider if "the Trust was the right place for me?"'
Please support our brilliant
@nationaltrust
Council candidates and our two members' resolutions so that together, we can restore trust in the
@nationaltrust
.
Follow this link for more info
The best people to serve on the Council of the National Trust are Bola Anike, Prof. Jeremy Black, Phil Bradby, Edward Bulmer, Philip Gibbs, Zareer Masani and Rosamund Roxburgh. They will hold the Trustees to account and will not rubber-stamp decisions.
Since Mr Parker resigned
@nationaltrust
has been silent.
There has been no announcement of how his replacement will be selected.
We are seeking a confirmatory vote to ensure the new Chairman understands the charity’s real purpose.
On the resignation of Tim Parker, Chairman of
@nationaltrust
"We are pleased that Mr Parker has decided to resign, following the posting of our motion of no confidence in him that would have been put to this years Annual Meeting.
(1/3)
SECURE YOUR VOTE AT THE NATIONAL TRUST AGM by renewing your NT membership—the deadline to do so is 26 August! We can only effect the governance reform required to change the NT's course if we vote in our reformative members' resolutions and Council candidates.
PLEASE RETWEET!!!
Zewditu Gebreyohanes calls on all
@nationaltrust
members to help
#restoretrustinthenationaltrust
by voting for Bola Anike, Jeremy Black, Phil Bradby, Edward Bulmer, Zareer Masani and Rosamund Roxburgh, as well as for our two members' resolutions by 28 October.
PLEASE RETWEET!!
"His position was clearly untenable given everything that has happened and the current crisis of confidence in the National Trust amongst its staff, volunteers and members.
What the National Trust needs now is a Chair with a deep understanding of our nation’s heritage.
(2/3)
Well done to Min Grimshaw, Guy Trehane and Andrew Powles for being elected to the Council of the National Trust. Now the work of holding the Trustees to account begins, and they are the right people to do it.
"We call on the Board of Trustees to make this an open and accountable process so that their shortlist of potential candidates is published and they present themselves and their proposals for the Trust to members in open events in the coming months."
(3/3)
We would like to thank the thousands of National Trust members who have shown their support for our campaign so far and agree with us that the senior leadership of the Trust is no longer up to the task of protecting, preserving and promoting Britain’s magnificent heritage.
As Harry Mount said: "Here’s hoping the new National Trust chairman will end the politics and the hatred of the past and concentrate on the job – looking after its artistic, architectural and landscape treasures."
Big day today—AGM at Bath Assembly Rooms!
Let's hope we succeed in our efforts to
#restoretrustinthenationaltrust
Whatever happens, thank you to all those who have supported us ❤️
Together we've been able to raise awareness of some of the most significant issues affecting the NT
IMPORTANT NEWS!!
@RestoreTrustNT
recommends that National Trust members vote for these Council candidates, who we believe will hold the NT's Trustees to account:
BOLA ANIKE
PROF. JEREMY BLACK
PHIL BRADBY
EDWARD BULMER
PHILIP GIBBS
ZAREER MASANI
ROSAMUND ROXBURGH
Please retweet!
The National Trust needs a Chairman who understands and cares about historic houses, gardens and landscapes.
The new Chairman will be appointed by the end of the year.
Not too long ago, the National Trust meant art, architecture, gardens, and countryside..
As members, let’s restore the National Trust.
#SaveOurNationalTrust
You can help us restore trust in the National Trust. Voting for the National Trust Council is now open, and your vote will make the difference.
📷 Find out more information and details of how to vote at
The National Trust tells us that a restoration of Clandon Park's Marble Hall would be a "reproduction". Should the Assembly Rooms in Bath not have been restored after being bombed in 1942? The AGM was held in this splendid 1960s "reproduction".
The second talk in our series will feature
@mounth
, editor of
@OldieMagazine
, in conversation with Restore Trust director Zewditu Gebreyohanes, and will be held at
@ShilstoneHouse
in Devon on 17 July
LIMITED TICKETS—book now
We support these candidates for the National Trust's Council because they have the right experience and vision to bring the charity back to its founding objectives:
Philip Gibbs
Andrew Gimson
Violet Manners
Philip Merricks
Jonathan Sumption
"As a member of the National Trust for many years, I can safely say that she [
@HilaryMcGrady
] doesn’t speak for me and has no right to suggest she does", writes Garry Curran from Crowthorne, Berkshire in a letter to the
@Telegraph
editor ✍️
Last year, a “Quick Vote” was introduced on the AGM voting papers, encouraging voters to tick a box to vote in line with all the recommendations of the Trustees and of the Nominations Committee.
This is little more than a rubber-stamping exercise for what the management wants.
In the Times today: "For more than a century the National Trust has thrived with a winning formula of beautiful houses, interesting artefacts, glorious gardens and decent refreshments."
"One of the most depressing aspects of watching the National Trust AGM online was having to listen to the egregious nonsense talked by its officials about the non-restoration plans for Clandon Park", writes former
@GeorgianGroup
Secretary Roger White ✍️
"Instead of just railing against “wokery”, she is lobbying against the way the trust treats its properties."
Read the fantastic profile of our Director, Zewditu Gebreyohanes, and the work of
@RestoreTrustNT
by
@iamliamkelly
in the
@thetimes
today.
"It must aim to maintain these delights for us all, not to fight political battles that provoke, divide and take us far from the peace that Octavia Hill intended."
"The National Trust has been accused of blocking critics from its AGM after members were turned away from attending in person."
Here is what Tom Oliver, who was one of those barred from attending and is a former NT employee, told the
@Telegraph
.... [1/3]
The greatest power you have to bring about change is to vote at the National Trust 2021 AGM. We hope you will consider voting with us at the AGM to protect our heritage.
Join the
@nationaltrust
TODAY if you would like to have a say at this year's AGM and
#SaveOurNationalTrust
You must have been a member for at least 70 days to be able to vote at the AGM on 30th October 2021.
Keep up to date with the latest on our campaign to get the
@nationaltrust
back to its real mission.
Our trustees are concerned about the appointment process for the new Chairman and have written to the charity seeking clarity.
by
@christopherhope
and
@Telegraph
** Exclusive in today's Telegraph **
National Trust members should be given a veto over new chairman to stop charity hiring a political campaigner, rebels demand. But the National Trust says no.
@RestoreTrustNT
@nationaltrust
Full story:
Welcome to the new Director of Restore Trust, Zewditu Gebreyohanes! She joins us from the think tank
@Policy_Exchange
, where she was Head of the History Matters Project.
In her
@telegraph
interview, Zewditu Gebreyohanes laments the NT's commercialisation: “when you’ve got an institution that exists principally to raise profits, rather than having a genuine desire to preserve history and heritage, that warps the agenda”.
The NT "director of curation and experience told the AGM that ... the executive team is committed to 'put more emphasis on play'"
"One member asked how 'if the aim is to preserve history' the charity could justify turning the property into 'a theme park'."
Unbelievable! The
@nationaltrust
's Communications Director
@CeliaRichards0n
, who spends much of her time on Twitter attacking
@RestoreTrustNT
without any basis, now claims (completely falsely) that we have links to Tufton St. We have reported this to Twitter for misinformation.
Why is colonialism so often conflated with slavery? In his letter to the Editor, Kevin Harvey suggests that colonialism is far more nuanced and that "we should be appraised of the good it brought as well as the bad and be given a more balanced history".
"The members and volunteers have only ever wanted what the trust was founded to do: preserve buildings of national interest, along with their furniture and pictures, and preserve beautiful landscapes. It’s the management that’s turned political."
@mounth
As the
@Telegraph
reports, votes cast using the new Quick Vote "were not identified in the final tally, and campaigners argue that the process is undemocratic as members could be handing their vote to the trustees without knowing what they are voting for".
If you want to see change at the National Trust, become a member and vote with us in 2022. Please help us spread the word by liking and sharing this tweet.
#RESTORETRUST
#NationalTrust
We are optimistic that the new NT Chairman, René Olivieri, will bring a measured and unbiased approach to the very complicated governance of the largest independent conservation charity in the world.
What a difference a year makes. Hanbury Hall in 2021 and 2022.
Vote for our council candidates in the upcoming
@nationaltrust
elections if you want history preserved, not rewritten.
"If you are saddened to see the National Trust going down the wrong path, please make sure you renew your membership by August 26 to secure your vote at the upcoming AGM" writes
@RestoreTrustNT
director Zewditu Gebreyohanes in
@Telegraph
PLEASE RE-TWEET!
This AGM was a chance to show the Trust’s leadership that their members can no longer be ignored and taken for granted and was an excellent starting place for our campaign.
The National Trust carries out a vital and complex task in looking after historic buildings, collections, gardens and countryside. It needs to maintain high standards and cannot afford the distraction of campaigning on political and social issues.
#RESTORETRUST
#nationaltrust
Looking ahead we will use every tool at our disposal to hold the trustees and the senior management to account and prevent them from politicising, closing or dumbing down their glorious properties, and from bullying or denigrating their excellent staff and volunteers.
A very big thank you to everyone who supported our recommended candidates and resolutions in this year's AGM.
We truly appreciate your help and enthusiasm in our mission to Restore Trust in the National Trust.
A
@thetimes
article today brings to light the Orwellian way in which a
@nationaltrust
volunteer and staff member have been suspended by the National Trust for submitting critical letters to the editor for publication on the
@RestoreTrustNT
website.
Do you think the 17th-century Sudbury Hall should be a children's playground with historic furniture cleared out of the way, or an historic house furnished as when the family lived there on display to the public?
Poll below.
#sudburyhall
#nationaltrust
The first talk in our new series of Restore Trust events will feature
@DanBJohnson
, founding editor of
@TweetTheArticle
, in conversation with our director Zewditu Gebreyohanes and will be held at
@HoughtonHall2
, Norfolk.
Limited tickets—book yours today:
Strong letter in the
@Telegraph
criticising the
@nationaltrust
voting system, which is described as 'yet another stain on the trust's management record'.
Let’s stick together and stand up for heritage.
The National Trust carries out a vital and complex task looking after historic buildings, gardens and countryside. It needs to maintain high standards and cannot afford the distraction of campaigning on political and social issues.
As we suspected, the annual report shows that the NT is much richer than it's ever been, holding significantly more in reserves than its policy threshold figure.
What, then, was the justification in making thousands of people, especially long-serving expert curators, redundant?!
“If ever the Trust is deflected from protecting individual places of historic interest and natural beauty, then it will have betrayed its fundamental objectives. "
We urge all our supporters to keep in touch and keep or renew their NT membership so they can have an effective say in the Trust’s future and vote with us in 2022.
Who's waging a war on culture?
Those trying to preserve and protect our history for future generations, or those seeking to 'manage change'?
What do the loyal members of
@nationaltrust
think?
Culture Warriors’ claims grow more ludicrous. This is nonsense and deliberately designed to provoke anger and division when our nation needs to heal.
#responsiblejournalism
#bekind
Deeply saddening to hear of Her Majesty the Queen's death. Throughout her reign she stayed true to her duty and unfailingly loyal to her subjects in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, setting an example to us all.
Please share our campaign leaflets ahead of the
@nationaltrust
AGM! See below for info on our campaign to return the NT to its charitable objectives, our fantastic council candidates and recommended members' resolutions
"Curatorial expertise has been replaced by a soulless managerialism, in which profit-making, and therefore brand-selling, is the paramount concern", writes
@RestoreTrustNT
's director Zewditu Gebreyohanes in her article for
@thetimes
✍️
Really?? "mouth frothing lunacy by NT members"?! Is that what you think about member-led attempts at greater democracy and accountability,
@joanishereish
? Doesn't reflect very well on you....
The National Trust received a £63 million insurance pay-out, with unrestricted reserves of £366 million.
We believe that this money should be used to bring Clandon's glorious staterooms by Giacomo Leoni back to life.
Read more here 👇
Watch
@NewCultureForum
's discussion between Restore Trust director Zewditu Gebreyohanes and
@prwhittle
, on why we are calling for members to REJOIN THE NATIONAL TRUST BY 26 AUGUST IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR CHANGE AT THE UPCOMING AGM!
Please retweet!
Restore Trust is proposing 4 member resolutions at the 2021 AGM.
*** All NT members are eligible to vote ***
Use your vote to support our resolutions and get the National Trust back to its real mission
#restoretrust
Read the resolutions on our website:
Excellent critique of the NT and the
@guardian
in the
@Telegraph
today.
The claim in yesterday's Guardian that we are targeting the NT on rewilding and LGBT+ issues "made a good headline" but "was flatly untrue"—instead we are calling for greater democracy and accountability.
Astonishing to see how our detractors continue trying to undermine us not by argument but through blatant misinformation!
@benquinn
's article in today's
@guardian
is just the latest example of this: see the thread below👇
PLEASE RETWEET!!
Let's
#restoretrustinthenationaltrust
Mr Oliver says that “I am not a natural critic of the trust. But the senior paid management are increasingly a law unto themselves.
“They are betraying the founders, their own staff, their volunteers, and most of all their members. They have gone too far.” [2/3]
"The curator had chosen to downplay any historical perspectives not associated with either colonialism or slavery. I did not join the Trust to be force-fed a diet of selective history.”
Read
@RestoreTrustNT
’s first 'Comment' piece, by Linda Walton ✍️
Given that you've spent lots of time making/encouraging racist and other rude/unjustified attacks on our director Zewditu and her Restore Trust work, might you like to have a face-to-face discussion with her? Or can you only do cowardly one-sided discussions from behind a screen?
What qualifications does this 23 year old PPE graduate have to become a V and A trustee? Her brief working life seems to have consisted entirely of sound bites and working for the very opaquely funded Policy Exchange "think tank".
BROKEN TRUST
"Since it was founded in 1895, the Trust has endured many controversies, but until now the shared acceptance of its founding purposes has seen it through."
It's time to
#RESTORETRUST
via
@spectator
In an article for
@thetimes
,
@JamesSBeal
covers the tragic story of Sudbury Hall's transformation into a children's play area.
He notes that "Restore Trust was established to remind the charity of its original purpose of protecting the nation’s heritage"✍️
Astonishing to see how our detractors continue trying to undermine us not by argument but through blatant misinformation!
@benquinn
's article in today's
@guardian
is just the latest example of this: see the thread below👇
PLEASE RETWEET!!
Let's
#restoretrustinthenationaltrust
During the AGM, Zewditu "accused the management of “disingenuous obfuscation” because they were not answering questions directly. She repeated questions from members about what information had come to light to mean the Trust had abandoned plans to largely restore Clandon Park".
"Zewditu Gebreyohanes—director of Restore Trust, which says it aims to “return the trust to its founding aims and ethos"—accused management of “obfuscation” for refusing to answer questions on its democratic processes and the restoration of Clandon Park"
SAVE THE DATE: This year's National Trust AGM will take place on Saturday 5 November 2022. We are delighted to see that the AGM will be held in the splendid setting of the Bath Assembly Rooms.
Please circulate far and wide; we encourage all our supporters to join us on the day!!
“The system for attending the AGM seems to have been designed to discourage reasonable dissent and suppress legitimate challenges to actions of the trust [...] the trust is well aware of its errors of judgment and wishes to avoid proper scrutiny.” [3/3]
An important message to all those keen to make a real difference and return the National Trust to its founding aims and objectives:
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 𝟰 NT TRUSTEE VACANCIES
Deadline to apply: 10th July
RE-TWEET and let your friends/family know!
Good morning. Just a reminder: the National Trust has been independent & free of interference from political parties, private business and lobbying companies for 127 years. But we mustn’t take this for granted. If you’re a member please do use your vote
In
@TweetTheArticle
today, Zewditu highlights "the extraordinary fact that those at the top of the
@nationaltrust
have been resorting to desperate attempts to silence dissenting voices among the membership and to thwart member-led attempts at reform." ✍️
Attingham Park reviewed on Tripadvisor on 27 September:"This is the National Trust at its money grubbing worst. Only the ground floor of the house is open and this has been ruined by modern toys and tat meant to show a ‘party’. The display is an insult to this lovely old house."
Great letter in the
@Telegraph
urging
@nationaltrust
members not to 'despair and waste their vote' in upcoming elections and to vote against the
@nationaltrust
preferred candidates
We are also putting forward two members' resolutions: 1) The Chairman’s discretionary proxy vote on members’ resolutions should be abolished 2) An independent office of Ombudsman to ensure the NT is accountable to its stakeholders and able to resolve complaints effectively.
No, we didn't. Restore Trust was established to 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 the NT by passing on the concerns of long-standing members and volunteers, not to "be a stone in the NT's shoe" (the clue is in the name). Please do visit our website (it doesn't take long) before spreading misinformation.
The
@Telegraph
reports that Orlando Fraser, chairman of the Charity Commission, will call on charities including the
@nationaltrust
to "model a better kind of public discourse” that will “inspire and inform, rather than stifle and poison, reasoned debate”.
Important letter in the
@Telegraph
last week about how the National Trust is losing volunteers by forcing them to take often irrelevant "e-learning modules" before being allowed to work.
[SHOCKING] BREAKING NEWS: the
@nationaltrust
has introduced a so-called 'quick vote' option encouraging members to tick a single box and automatically support all NT management's recommended members' resolutions/candidates.
"Democracy" in the NT has reached laughable new lows!!
At present, members, volunteers, tenants and other NT supporters/stakeholders have no clear method of redress if they have a complaint—many have told us they are routinely ignored. An ombudsman would ensure their concerns are heard and addressed.
"Cornelia van der Poll, from
@RestoreTrustNT
, said that the Trust’s plans were based on the incorrect assumption that children could not enjoy 17th Century homes. 'Just because they are children ... they are not incapable of showing curiosity and understanding of the real thing'"
Thank you to all who attended
@RestoreTrustNT
's recent event featuring Charles Moore in conversation with Zewditu Gebreyohanes. It was a very successful evening, with a full house—wonderful to see so much support for our campaign to return the
@nationaltrust
to its founding aims!