How the National Trust is diversifying its portfolio

By J.C.

SINCE ITS foundation in 1895, the raison d’être of the National Trust, Britain’s premier conservation charity, has been to look after grand stately homes and breathtaking stretches of coastline. Among the more than 300 historic buildings in its care are Chartwell, the former home of Winston Churchill, and the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland, the focus of fighting during the Wars of the Roses. Volunteers offer tours and specialist services like textile repair, and perform mundane tasks such as cleaning up litter. The trust aims to “preserve and protect the heritage at our places and spaces—for ever, for everyone”.

At 124 years old, the organisation is in rude health. More than 5m Britons are members and plenty of new ones join every year. But the National Trust knows that if it is to keep up this momentum—and avoid charges of elitism—it must emphasise the “for everyone” part of its creed, and offer a more comprehensive definition of heritage. It is too often thought of as an institution for the country’s greying citizens, not trendy urbanites.