A disillusioned volunteer

I have been a life member of the National Trust since 1967, and a room guide for many years. I am becoming seriously disillusioned with the dumbing down of the Trust. The woke element is becoming increasingly damaging to the very ethos of why the Trust was formed. These misguided views can, in a material sense, affect the internal fabric of buildings and their contents, introducing inappropriate uses and reducing curatorial services. The attempts to re write history is difficult to comprehend. A classic example is the provision of notices in properties drawing attention to anything that may have a relationship to slavery or anything else that does not meet with their agenda. Advising people to avert their eyes from such artefacts that may offend is attracting derision from some of our visitors. We all know slavery was, and remains, abhorrent, but people take offence in being patronised in this way.

I, like my colleagues, had made substantial provision in bequests to the Trust. However, many now feel this is misplaced, as the organisation appears to be evolving in an unacceptable manner. The undemocratic procedure in which the governing body suggests 'appropriate' candidates and the ‘quick vote' system to ensure that there is minimum change, is totally unacceptable. Clearly, like any organisation, the Trust must evolve to survive. However, diverging from the reasons it was formed in the first place is not a preferred, or indeed, sensible way forward. It will likely lose much of the grass root support that enables it to survive. Restore Trust has my full support.

Barrie Eden