National Trust AGM 2025
Voting is now closed.
Thank you for your support.
Year after year, we see how the Trust's management has undermined member democracy. From the use of the Quick Vote, a block vote that endorses only the candidates backed by management, to flooding the ballot with candidates and discontinuing paper booklets by default, the playing field is anything but level.
Our Resolution: Insure Our Heritage
The National Trust must insure all historic buildings in its care sufficiently to provide enough funds for any eventuality.
The National Trust should always be in a position to carry out its function to preserve the historic buildings in its care ‘for everyone, for ever’ - even if disaster strikes.
The availability of funds should not influence the decision over how to restore a building damaged by fire, flood or some other catastrophic event.
Therefore, we propose that all historic buildings in the care of the National Trust should be sufficiently insured to provide enough funds for any eventuality, whether this is done on a ‘total reinstatement’ or ‘first loss’ basis.
This would mean that the leadership of the National Trust is never bound to make potentially detrimental decisions due to the value of an insurance payout.
So that members and the public can feel confident that our heritage is robustly protected, we propose that the Annual Report on the National Trust’s insurance arrangements, levels of cover and renewal of insurance policies, which is reviewed annually by the Audit Committee, is made available to members.
Disasters can happen. Plenty have occurred in the history of the National Trust.
But when they do, the National Trust should always be in a position to take the best possible care of the historic buildings that are entrusted to it on behalf of the nation and future generations.
Candidates
The National Trust management wants you to use the Quick Vote, but that means endorsing more of the same poor leadership.
Instead, we ask that during AGMs members vote individually and support these our recommended candidates.
At this year’s AGM we recommended the following candidates:
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Bijan Omrani
Historian, journalist, teacher, barrister and author.
“I have got to know the work of the National Trust at first hand as a neighbour of Shute Barton, where local people worked with the National Trust to keep this special house open to the public and maintain its place in the fabric of our small community. As a member for nearly 20 years I would like to see fair voting and the end of the quick vote so that members’ confidence in the process can be restored.”
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Lawrence Goldman
Historian, academic, and former director the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and of the Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
“If elected I would ensure that the National Trust's work is both broad and deep, reaching as many people as possible and helping them develop an objective understanding of all aspects of Britain's remarkable and distinguished history, free from bias or ideology. As a membership organisation, the Trust needs to look again at how members are given their say, and do away with the Quick Vote.”
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Alka Sehgal Cuthbert
Educator, academic, author, campaigner, and director of Don’t Divide Us, an advocacy group challenging divisive approaches to race and identity in public life.
“The National Trust is uniquely placed to ensure that the best of our past cultural achievements continue to be a source of contemplative wonder, sparking imaginative and intellectual curiosity for everyone, but must do this carefully and fairly and to present heritage in a way that unites rather than divides us.”
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Patrick Streeter
Active conservationist, trustee and sometime Chairman of the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust.
“I am interested in joining the Council because I want to contribute to the debate about the management and future of the Trust. I believe all viewpoints should be represented on the Council and that the members should work together in the interests of the Trust. To this end, election procedures need to be more democratic and we need to get rid of the Quick Vote.”
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Georgia Cristea
ARB/RIBA Registered Chartered Architect, RIBA-accredited Conservation Architect & Interior Designer.
“If I am elected to the Council I will argue for the National Trust to love its historic buildings and have confidence in their power to uplift people. I will also make the case for greater member democracy and an end to the ‘Quick Vote’.” -
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David Wyatt
Works Manager at Cowdray
Many of the skills used to create historic buildings have been lost. I have a keen interest to ensure these buildings are sympathetically restored, maintained and looked after for others to appreciate. Preservation is key. -
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Anthony Mealing
Conservation Architect
The UK has a rich historic built environment; one the National Trust works hard at maintaining/conserving. However simple preservation is not ideal unless it is communicated. Communication introduces all of us to our national and local timelines. Not only that of the landed aristocracy, but of the ordinary people, the 'me and you' of this world. It tells us how our nation was built and how we, the ordinary people, through our interaction with our past but working with the present, changed the world. The challenge is, how to do this without trivialisation. Manage this correctly and you have security.
This year’s National Trust AGM will take place on 8 November in Swindon.
If you would like a paper AGM booklet for future AGMs to make it easier to read about the candidates running and the resolutions put forward, you can request one by clicking the button.
If you've previously made a request for a postal vote, you don't need to make this request again. Your preferences will be saved.
