Grants and funding

Birds eye view of the kitchen garden project at Florence Court, County Fermanagh | © National Trust/Ronan McGrade

From rooftops and rugs to meadows and monuments – the funding the National Trust receives from grants makes a huge difference to the special places in our care. Find out about the grants we receive and some of the conservation projects they have helped support.

Is the National Trust government funded?

The Trust is a charity, independent of government. That means we don't receive any guaranteed annual 'grant-in-aid' and we can't rely on government support.

We do, though, make applications every year to a range of competitive grant schemes, mainly to support our project work. This could be through central or local government, European government or sources such as Lottery funds.

The importance of grants

Grant income offers vital support for many projects at the places we look after. It helps us to plant new woodland and build countryside cycle trails, create wildlife habitats, manage coastal landscapes and protect more than 300 historic buildings across the UK.

Because of the grants we receive we’re able to provide access to these amazing places, through the visits people enjoy and the opportunities available to join in with us and learn more about our work.

Main sources of grants

Some of our most significant sources of grants are:

The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund
The Arts Councils
Sport England/Wales/Northern Ireland
The Landfill Communities Fund
National Highways
Research grants (Including UKRI, NERC and AHRC)
Central and local government.

These grants often enable the Trust to work in partnership with other organisations and charities to achieve objectives that go well beyond what we could achieve on our own.

In 2021-22, we received around £32.7m from a wide range of statutory funders.

We are always grateful for the support from our grant funders. Without this support we wouldn’t be able to do some of our most important and innovative work.

A view of the Rotunda surrounded by scaffolding at Ickworth, Suffolk, with a wide path leading to the Rotunda and neat topiary hedges running alongside the path — Ickworth House embarked on a major conservation project to repair the roof thanks to generous funding | © National Trust Images / Jemma Finch

Some of our grant-funded projects

Keeping Porlock rivers healthy

Steep streams in Porlock Vale, Somerset, are at high risk of flooding. We’re working with European partners, with funding from Interreg 2 Seas Programme and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, to reconnect rivers with the floodplain and improve riverbanks to support otters, water voles and the resident bats.

Repairing Wellington Monument

The striking Wellington Monument on the edge of the Blackdown Hills in Somerset needs renovating nearly every decade. Thanks to funding from Highways England, Viridor Credits, the Culture Recovery Fund, Historic England, Somerset West and Taunton Council and Wellington Town Council it continues to stand firm.

National Lottery Heritage Fund

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and players of the National Lottery, we’ve received around £150m since 1994 to restore and repair historic houses, gardens and precious countryside.

From returning the 18th-century Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland to its former flamboyant self, to improving a family park on the shores of Lake Windermere, these wide-ranging projects inspire people of all ages. And their impact is significant too, with millions of people visiting the places that have benefitted from National Lottery Heritage Fund grants each year.

Conservation of Constable waterloo Bridge Painting at Knole Conservation Studio. Painting from Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

Donate to make a difference

Your support is essential to help us look after nature, beauty and history. Make a donation today, and together we can protect precious places for everyone, forever.

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