The Restore Trust, a campaign group made up of members of the charity, also wants to abolish the president’s discreet votes at the annual meeting, which means that the views of individual members can be ignored. It has tabled two resolutions calling for change earlier this month. They are to be discussed at a stormy National Trust meeting this October. If the proposals are approved by the members at the meeting, they could become binding on the National Trust board. The news came as the Restore Trust hosted a series of events across the UK this year at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, Shilstone House in Devon and a property in East Sussex over the next three months, with historians including David Goodhart trying to raise awareness of members. .
“National Trust must be held accountable”
The campaign team is concerned that while the NHS, parliament, local authorities, universities and many other key public bodies have mediators, the National Trust – despite being one of the largest member organizations in the world – does not benefit from . Complaints about the behavior of the National Trust are dealt with by the chairman, who is not considered independent by the board of the Trust. While the Charity Committee regulates charities, including the National Trust, it does not investigate individual problems in the way an independent ombudsman could. The militants said that having an independent ombudsman would encourage the organization to establish procedures for dealing effectively and transparently with complaints at an early stage, so that the intervention of an outside ombudsman is rarely necessary. Cornelia van der Poll, a spokeswoman for the Restore Trust, said: “It is important that the National Trust be held accountable. “As the largest private landowner in the country, in particular, the charity is a powerful force in shaping the future of our countryside.” A National Trust spokesman said: “We look forward to our Annual General Meeting and will share this year’s resolutions with our members soon. Like all charities, we are accountable to the Charity Committee. “
