FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL

I hope two human qualities will leap out at you as you explore this report: engagement and vitality. It's the story of one year in a movement of millions of people who care with a passion for nature, beauty and history, and who want to share that love with their fellow citizens.

That's why engaging support is at the heart of our new strategy. It's about much more than numbers or income. We're proud of our 3.56 million membership and the tens of millions of visits to our countryside, coast, houses and gardens. But we also want to win people's hearts, and to involve our supporters more deeply with us and the inspiring places we care for.

Perhaps all anyone expected 50 years ago was for us to open the doors and let them in. Now you also want the chance to ask questions, to do research, to take a hands-on role in conservation, or to take home new ideas, interests or local produce. And we want to learn more about what makes these places so special to you.

So we see our relationship not as a transaction between customers and providers, but as a more emotional engagement. We want to share our passion, inviting our supporters to join in as well as join, and be actively involved in our work.

Like most of our charity's best ideas, this is nothing new. The Trust was born as a movement of enthusiasts. Our great battles have been fought by energetic and passionate supporters. We would collapse tomorrow without the dedication of our 52,000 volunteers.

But as one of our founders, Octavia Hill, reminded us, 'new occasions teach new duties'. And today engagement also means joining forces to address what is probably the greatest threat to mankind in the 21st century: climate change.

We are well placed to do this. Across our great landscapes, coastlines, houses and gardens, we can demonstrate best practice in reducing our carbon footprint. We can exchange ideas for greener living with millions of supporters. And we have a public profile which commands attention.

I want the spirit of engagement to seep into every corner of our work. I'm always awed by the energy and creativity of our staff and volunteers. That's why the acorn planted in 1895 has grown into today's huge oak. But our sheer size must never overshadow that inventive can-do spirit on the ground.

Big can often mean bureaucratic. Individual initiative can be discouraged. So our new strategy passes more power to individual properties, encouraging confident participation in decision-making at all levels from central office to the front line.

You'll see from this report that we are investing in our people's skills and creativity. We're setting high standards for conservation and management, while giving staff and volunteers the opportunity to deliver excellence in a thousand different ways.

This has been a memorable year, when we've broken records for membership, volunteering and income generation. That success was built on engaging the shared enthusiasm of staff, volunteers and millions of supporters. So I close with the warmest possible thank you to everyone who is helping to make it happen.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, DBE
Director-General