Attendance was good (400ish and many more online), the event management was superb as usual. Many of your questions were answered, with some great speeches from Director-General, Hilary McGrady and Chair, Tim Parker. Tim managed proceedings well ensuring all opinions were heard and treated with respect. The hot topics for 2019 were climate change and our partnership with Cadbury.
If you would like to watch all or parts of the AGM, you can access the video on our website.
Watch the 2019 AGM on video
Annual General Meetings have happened since the end of the 19th century (how I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall). They’re a requirement of the Trust’s constitution and provide a regular opportunity for you to hear from and ask questions of the Trust’s top brass. Members can ask any questions they like about all things National Trust. As in most years, on Saturday these ranged from ones about dog walking on properties to ones about major issues of policy.
My job at the AGM is to help everyone feel at ease and ensure the business of the day is worked through according to the requirements of our constitution. This was my 19th AGM so I hope I’m forgiven for saying that I’d heard a lot of familiar questions during the main part of the Q&A session.
Then – just as Tim was adjourning the meeting ahead of lunch – a very vocal and passionate member shouted from the back that the meeting was failing to discuss the biggest issue facing the Trust (and planet), ie climate change. His frustration and strong views (his demand was for all NT members to write to their MPs) set the tone for the rest of the meeting.