A new chairman at the National Trust

We hope that the appointment of René Olivieri as Chairman of the National Trust signals a renewed interest in historic houses, gardens and landscapes.

The Council of the National Trust appears to have made an imaginative external appointment in René Olivieri (who scores points at once for eschewing even a Wikipedia entry). We are optimistic that he will bring a measured and unbiased approach to the very complicated governance of the largest independent conservation charity in the world.

 This is a wonderful opportunity to begin to steer the organization back to its core principles of conservation and presentation of the highest quality. It has always been a tricky task for the Trust to meet the varied conservation needs of our natural open spaces, agricultural land, built heritage and designed landscapes. Their demands are often perceived as competing; under wise governance, however, they need not be conflicting. An essential aim must be to focus on the Trust’s owned, inalienable properties, and to keep faith with those who gave them in trust for the Nation.

Restore Trust was founded early in 2021, in despair at the direction that the Trust’s management had been taking over the last twenty years, culminating in its profoundly misguided response to Covid. There have been too many reorganizations, resulting in misplaced strategies and loss of staff morale and leadership. The dreadful publicity that the Trust attracted over the last year, combined with questions in Parliament, is unprecedented and shaming.

Mr Olivieri now faces a huge challenge to lead the Trust in a healthier strategic direction, based on the best of its past and the needs of the present and long-term future. We hope he will enlist the help of the Trust’s constructive critics, including supporters of Restore Trust. We wish him well.