THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
To look after places of historic interest or natural beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 29 February 2024
Total income:
£723,814,000
Donations and legacies | £98.07m | |
Charitable activities | £526.11m | |
Other trading activities | £82.15m | |
Investments | £13.71m | |
Other | £3.78m |
Total expenditure:
£767,677,000
Raising funds | £71.79m | |
Charitable activities | £695.89m | |
Other | £0 |
£107,954 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £21,190,000 from 803 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £71.79m | |
Charitable expenditure | £695.89m |
People

8419 Employee(s)
12 Trustee(s)
40000 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£60k to £70k | 123 |
£70k to £80k | 46 |
£80k to £90k | 14 |
£90k to £100k | 7 |
£100k to £110k | 11 |
£110k to £120k | 2 |
£120k to £130k | 4 |
£130k to £140k | 2 |
£200k to £250k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- The General Public/mankind
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Throughout England And Wales
- Northern Ireland
Governance
- 08 February 2007: Standard registration
- NATIONAL TRUST (Working name)
- NATIONAL TRUST CYMRU (Working name)
- THE NATIONAL TRUST (Working name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
12 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Rene H Olivieri | Chair | 01 February 2022 |
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Alison Phillips | Trustee | 01 September 2024 |
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Richard Hethersett Huntington | Trustee | 01 September 2024 |
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Michael Salter-Church MBE | Trustee | 01 September 2024 |
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Dr Lisbet Rausing | Trustee | 01 January 2023 |
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Paul Roberts | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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Patrick Figgis | Trustee | 01 September 2022 |
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Denise Nichola Jagger | Trustee | 01 January 2021 |
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Dr Aideen McGinley OBE | Trustee | 01 September 2019 |
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Dr Thomas Ernest Tew | Trustee | 01 May 2019 |
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ZARIN PATEL | Trustee | 01 September 2018 |
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Sandy Nairne CBE FSA | Trustee | 02 April 2015 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 29/02/2020 | 28/02/2021 | 28/02/2022 | 28/02/2023 | 29/02/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £680.95m | £507.66m | £643.33m | £671.08m | £723.81m | |
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Total expenditure | £699.36m | £514.54m | £591.94m | £733.29m | £767.68m | |
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Income from government contracts | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
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Income from government grants | £19.45m | £19.95m | £23.05m | £22.34m | £21.19m | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £81.66m | £63.51m | £81.80m | £91.39m | £98.07m | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £88.10m | £37.29m | £63.23m | £74.14m | £82.15m | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £480.13m | £385.03m | £473.89m | £493.09m | £526.11m | |
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Income - Endowments | £8.03m | £380.00k | £185.00k | £2.73m | £390.00k | |
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Income - Investment | £29.18m | £17.26m | £15.84m | £19.90m | £13.71m | |
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Income - Other | £1.88m | £4.58m | £8.57m | £3.36m | £3.78m | |
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Income - Legacies | £61.57m | £44.63m | £63.57m | £70.31m | £6.17m | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £614.06m | £456.95m | £536.77m | £667.61m | £695.89m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £85.30m | £57.59m | £55.18m | £65.68m | £71.79m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £736.00k | £358.00k | £869.00k | £910.00k | £1.08m | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £10.45m | £12.99m | £5.48m | £5.55m | £5.54m | |
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Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 29/02/2020 | 28/02/2021 | 28/02/2022 | 28/02/2023 | 29/02/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | £180.17m | £161.57m | £153.30m | £175.38m | £187.26m | |
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Long-term investments | £1.31bn | £1.47bn | £1.61bn | £1.56bn | £1.58bn | |
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Other assets | £160.30m | £157.52m | £155.19m | £173.67m | £167.21m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | -£181.98m | -£139.83m | £21.70m | -£9.29m | -£29.32m | |
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Total liabilities | £174.14m | £186.46m | £261.85m | £320.91m | £289.28m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 29 February 2024 | 26 November 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 29 February 2024 | 26 November 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 28 February 2023 | 13 December 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 28 February 2023 | 13 December 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 28 February 2022 | 21 December 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 28 February 2022 | 21 December 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 28 February 2021 | 22 December 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 28 February 2021 | 22 December 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 29 February 2020 | 16 December 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 29 February 2020 | 16 December 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
ACT OF PARLIAMENT THE NATIONAL TRUST ACTS, 1907, 1919, 1937, 1953 AND 1971 STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 1975 NO 1155. AS AMENDED BY SCHEME OF THE COMMISSIONERS SEALED 12/01/2005 (AS EFFECTED BY STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 2005 NO. 712) AMENDED 2/07/2008, 21/01/2009, 19/05/2010, 22/03/2016, 17/06/2020 AND 23/03/2022
Charitable objects
THE PRESERVATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE NATION OF LANDS AND TENEMENTS (INCLUDING BUILDINGS) OF BEAUTY OR HISTORIC INTEREST AND, AS REGARDS LANDS, FOR THE PRESERVATION (AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE) OF THEIR NATURAL ASPECT, FEATURES AND ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE. ALSO THE PRESERVATION OF FURNITURE, PICTURES AND CHATTELS OF ANY DESCRIPTION HAVING NATIONAL AND HISTORIC OR ARTISTIC INTEREST. (FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE THE NATIONAL TRUST ACTS, 1907 TO 1971).
Area of benefit
NATIONAL
Linked charities
- 08 February 2007 : Standard registration
Contact information
- Address:
-
NATIONAL TRUST
HEELIS
KEMBLE DRIVE
SWINDON
SN2 2NA
- Phone:
- 01793 817400
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