As a NT life member for almost 50 years I have watched with sadness the descent of the NT into corporate downfall. They have done some good work, for example in the Studley estate, but recently they all have frequently abandoned their founding principles in favour of a ‘business’ model to make more money and pay for more ‘management’. Gone are the days of individual cafes and shops stocked with local produce – think Mrs Jennings at Wallington. Now, if you’re lucky to find them open because of self inflicted staff shortages, the poor quality stock comes from a hopeless and inefficient central purchasing department. Presentations are PC and dumbed down to the lowest denominator. Those volunteers who haven’t left appear demoralised by management edicts e g to have interminable meetings re job descriptions etc. while expertise garnered over decades in gardens and building conservation have been forced out in favour of money oriented ‘managers’.HHA properties are much better managed by their owners/ trusts than those of the centrally ‘directed’ NT as are those of English Heritage/Historic Scotland As member I feel powerless to reverse the trend against the steam roller of the current ‘management’ who must surely have been appointed because of their record of failures? Of the magazines we get:- NT, NTS, Historic Scotland, HHA, JM Trust etc the NT magazine stands out as the least interesting or relevant.When I joined, our wills left significant amounts to the NT but we have changed this to organisations such as Friends of the Lakes, JM Trust etc that have (so far) not been taken over by ‘woke’ corporate (mis)management. I’m pretty sure that if Mrs Heelis were alive today she wouldn’t be entrusting much of the Lakes to the current NT ‘management’
