Modern slavery statement

The Board of Trustees, The National Trust Enterprises Board of Directors and the National Trust Executive Team have all approved this statement. A copy of the statement has been signed by the Chief Financial Officer.

Our commitment

We are resolute in our commitment to identifying, preventing and addressing the risk of modern slavery across all areas of our work. This includes our direct operations, let estate, and extensive supply chains. We expect all suppliers, contractors, tenants and partners to uphold the same high standards and to actively support our efforts to eliminate exploitation and abuse.

In 2025-26 we focused on embedding modern slavery controls into day-to-day decision making. We strengthened risk assessment and due diligence in functions identified as higher risk, are enhancing internal guidance and tools, and are rewriting supplier contracts to clarify expectations and improve enforceability.

Our organisation

As Europe’s largest conservation charity, we care for historic places and natural landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our work is supported by members, donors, volunteers, tenants and staff, and funded through memberships, grants, commercial income, donations and legacies.

Our structure

The Trust includes several subsidiaries, with National Trust (Enterprises) Ltd meeting the reporting threshold under the Act. Our governance ensures accountability across all directorates. Each Executive Director is responsible for managing modern slavery risk in their area, with oversight from the Chief Financial Officer and coordination by the Rulebook and Compliance Group.

Our policies

We have a comprehensive suite of policies that support our ethical and inclusive approach. These include:

• A dedicated Modern Slavery Policy, reviewed on a bi-annual basis, setting out our expectations, governance and responsibilities.
• Clear procurement, recruitment, and safeguarding guidance, with enhanced modern slavery questions embedded into supplier onboarding and sourcing processes.
• A “Products We Trust” framework guiding responsible sourcing of goods for resale, including ethical sourcing standards aligned with the Ethical Trading Initiative and Fairtrade Foundation.
• We are developing a Supplier Code of Conduct which will be embedded in our onboarding process, outlining our expectations for all suppliers.

During 2025-2026 we began reviewing and strengthening our Modern Slavery Remediation Policy to provide a clear expectation of roles, responsibilities and actions for colleagues to follow in the event a concern is identified. We are also updating our internal guidance and intranet pages to improve accessibility and clarity.

Our supply chains

We have over 12,000 active suppliers that we trade with across a wide range of sectors.

Modern slavery risk checks are embedded across the supplier lifecycle, including pre-qualification, sourcing, evaluation, onboarding, contract management and annual review, and we are reviewing our position on these checks to strengthen our process. This includes integrating checks into our procurement systems, strengthening modern slavery clauses in contracts, and tailoring the depth of due diligence according to risk. Higher risk categories, including construction, retail, facilities management and global supply chains are prioritised for deeper assessment and engagement.

Risk assessment and management

We take a proactive and evidence-based approach to risk management. In 2025, we have used the outcomes of previous reviews to enhance risk assessment in our higher risk functions, including Procurement, Built Assets, Commercial, Let Estate, IT and People Services. Each function completes regular risk assessment and due diligence reviews, with delivery tracked through agreed actions and RAG status, which are reviewed quarterly by the Rulebook and Compliance Group. This ensures consistent governance, accountability and continuous improvement across the Trust and allows us to focus resources where the risk of exploitation is greatest.

Due diligence

We empower staff to make responsible decisions through clear guidance and training. Our due diligence includes:

• Identification of high-risk suppliers and key supply chain partners
• Regular tenancy inspections and monitoring of irregular rental activity
• Due diligence activities embedded into IT sourcing

Due diligence arrangements continue to develop across the Trust. In addition to embedded controls, several enhancements are under review, including improved dashboards and reporting in our Commercial function, clearer escalation routes, and consistent inclusion of modern slavery as a standing agenda item in supplier performance reviews.

Training and awareness

Training is tailored to role and risk, with deeper training provided to colleagues working in higher risk functions or managing suppliers, contractors, tenants or sites where exploitations risks may be more likely.

Our Safeguarding and modern slavery e-learning remains mandatory for all staff. Higher risk functions have access to a dedicated Modern Slavery e-learning module, to improve understanding and awareness as required.

In May 2026, the National Trust was awarded the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply’s Corporate Ethics Mark, in recognition of our commitment to ethical sourcing and supplier management.

Grievance and reporting

We have clear processes for reporting and responding to modern slavery concerns. Concerns can be raised by any colleague through Safeguarding routes or Speak Out. We are developing a designated modern slavery Response Team, made up of Procurement, ESG & Risk, and Safeguarding colleagues, who will undertake an initial evaluation and agree a proportionate response in line with our Remediation Policy. This includes investigation, supplier management, remedy design, and learning to prevent recurrence.

Measuring effectiveness

Findings from benchmarking and internal reviews have been used to inform priority actions, training focus and governance arrangements. This helps ensure we continue to mature our approach and increase consistency across the Trust.

Looking ahead

In 2026-27 we will continue to embed modern slavery considerations into core processes, strengthen remediation and reporting guidance, improve data visibility and dashboards, and build capability across higher risk functions. Our focus remains on helping colleagues buy responsibly, reducing risk across our supply chains, and ensuring every pound delivers value for people and nature.