The National Trust’s Council is one of their two main governance bodies and plays an important role in how the National Trust is governed. The Council’s key governance responsibilities are to appoint the Board of Trustees and hold it to account. The Council is made up of 36 members, with 18 elected members and 18 appointed members from organisations (called Appointing Bodies) which have a connection to the Trust’s work.
The Trust’s Appointing Bodies are 18 organisations that are elected by National Trust members every six years. The organisations generally operate in areas that are connected to the charity’s work, such as nature, conservation, heritage and volunteering. The most recent election took place at the Trust’s last AGM at the end of 2024.
Alongside the likes of English Heritage, Historic Houses, RSPB, The Ramblers and the NFU, World Heritage UK was voted by the Trust’s members to become an Appointing Body. WHUK will hold this position for six years, and our first representative on the Council will be our President Chris Blandford.
The National Trust plans an important role in the protection and management of a number of the UK’s WHSs, including the English Lake District, Hadrian’s Wall, Studley Royal & Fountains Abbey, Giant’s Causeway and more.
WHUK looks forward to supporting the National Trust over the coming years.
Image: the National Trust