FROM THE CHAIRMAN
This is my last Annual Report as Chairman, as I step down at the Annual General
Meeting in November. Much has happened since I became Chairman in May 2003. Perhaps
most importantly our governance has been completely overhauled and the vast majority
of the recommendations of the Blakenham Report have been implemented. This was the
most fundamental overhaul of our governance for over 30 years, requiring a Parliamentary
Scheme and new Act of Parliament for Northern Ireland, a new Board of Trustees,
changes to the role of the Council and radical changes to all our selection procedures.
Our membership numbers have continued to grow over the last five years at a fantastic
rate and we now have over 3.56m members, half a million more than five years ago.
We have also transformed our finances to exceed in recent years our target of a
20% Net Gain and a £20 million operating contribution. This improved performance
has allowed us to invest more than ever in our conservation and other programmes.
We have developed and implemented a new strategy based on engaging our supporters,
improving our conservation and environmental performance, investing in our people
and financing our future.
During the last five years we have also made some exciting acquisitions, such as
Godolphin House in Cornwall and Divis Mountain in Northern Ireland. We have added
3,845 hectares (9,500 acres) of outstanding countryside and 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometres)
of coastline and made numerous acquisitions of chattels for our great houses, such
as the Lyme Park Missal. We are preparing a radical new programme to pioneer a new
way of working for our Property Managers. This will give them more freedom of action,
greater incentives for their properties and reduce the bureaucratic burden.
Above all, as I travel around the country visiting our properties I have detected
a new spirit of optimism amongst our staff and volunteers. There is a real sense
that the National Trust knows where it is going and has the skills and resources
to get there, The way we have responded to the environmental challenge is just one
such example.
It has been a challenging and demanding period but hugely rewarding and a great
privilege to represent such a wonderful organisation that makes a huge contribution
to our national well being. I am especially delighted that the National Trust's Director-General, Fiona Reynolds, has been honoured with a Damehood for her services to heritage conservation.
Thank you to everyone - members and supporters, volunteers and all those who help
us in myriad different ways. What we do would be impossible without you.
Sir William Proby, Bt
Chairman
