Every day, people up and down the country enjoy priceless experiences with the National Trust. From relaxing in seaside sunshine to seeing the past come thrillingly alive at one of our historic properties or relishing the freedom of a hill walk, these pleasures are a huge part of our national quality of life.

You can help us to keep making these possible by making a donation or by sending us your priceless memory to inspire other visitors.

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We know that supporters hold these pleasures dear, which is why the National Trust has pledged to protect them for ever, for everyone.

Every year, however, the cost of caring for our properties goes up. Four out of every five of our historic houses run at a loss and every one of them needs expensive repairs and renovation.

Countryside and coastline are free to access but require costly management, and our precious collections demand skilled, time-consuming conservation.

While we are extremely grateful to all our members for all their continued support, sadly membership and visitor fees cover only one third of our total costs. Donations are a vital source of income that helps to fill that gap.

Projects requiring funding

At Peckover House in Cambridgeshire, the old propagation house that was used to propagate and protect less hardy species through the winter failed; and as a result we lost over 70 per cent of our precious stock of plants. Funding already generously donated by supporters has meant that we have been able to build a new propagation house - Victorian in appearance but with state of the art technology for heating and climate control. This will now be used by a wide variety of groups including garden volunteers, a local school group and the regular garden staff. While we have achieved much, we have still not completed this project and further funding is needed to ensure that we can do all the work we have planned. Once completed, we will be able to open this fascinating working area of the garden to visitors once more.

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At Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire, we are part way through repairing the Great Wall of China in the garden. This is one of the most iconic features of the garden, created to house James Bateman’s collection of plants from the Orient. We are using traditional drystone walling techniques and recycled stone to make the repairs. Due to safety concerns, this part of the garden has had to be closed for some time, but if we can finish the repairs it will once again be safe to open so we we can welcome visitors back to a very special place.

At Hanbury Hall in the West Midlands it is essential that the magnificent baroque wall paintings on the north, south and west walls are conserved as soon as possible. These paintings were a major reason for the Trust’s acquisition of the property in 1953. The condition of these walls is worsening by the day and as well as being disappointing for visitors, the more time that goes by: the more expensive the vital conservation work will be. When we start the work it will be done during opening hours so that visitors can watch the work in progress and will have the chance to talk with the skilled craftspeople carrying out the hugely detailed, slow and painstaking task of bringing these walls back to life. This work will cost around £80,000 to complete

© NTPL / Nadia Mackenzie	© NTPL /Nick Guttridge

What’s your own special moment?

Take a moment to reflect on all the priceless moments you and your family have enjoyed over the years at National Trust properties. We would love it if you would share the joy of these priceless experiences with us and our members across the UK and beyond.

To do so, submit your memory, or read the memories that other people have shared.