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Thick frost on the ground with the windpump standing against a bright blue sky at sunrise at Horsey Windpump, Norfolk
Frosty sunrise at the windpump at Horsey Windpump, Norfolk | © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

Our cause

We’re Europe’s biggest conservation charity and we look after nature, beauty and history for everyone to enjoy. Find out about our work to tackle climate change, protect historic sites and help people and nature thrive. 

About us

Find out who’s who at the National Trust, read our strategy and learn about our history as a conservation charity, plus much more.

View of the ruins of Corfe Castle, lit in golden autumn sunlight, with a hill in the background
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Who we are and what we stand for 

Discover more about our legacy, people and values as a conservation charity. We protect historic places and green spaces while opening them up for everyone, for ever.

The National Trust AGM 2023, STEAM Museum, Swindon

Annual General Meeting 

The 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place on 11 November. Watch a video of the event and find out the results of the members' resolutions and Council elections.

A volunteer and a member of staff tending the garden at Rainham Hall, with the trees starting to bud around them and a view of the hall in the distance.
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For everyone, for ever: our strategy 

Read about our strategy 'For everyone, for ever' here at the National Trust, which will take the organisation through to 2025.

Sir Robert Hunter with his daughter (centre), fellow National Trust founder Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley (far right) and a friend in the Lake District around 1900
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Our founders 

Read about our three founders – Octavia Hill, Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley – who set up the National Trust in 1895 to protect natural and historic places.

Nature and climate

Reducing carbon emissions, planting trees and protecting wildlife habitats: just some of the things we’re doing to protect nature and the climate.

Sunrise over the east coast at Lundy, Devon

Nature conservation 

Discover how we work to support a rich variety of land, nature and wildlife across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A National Trust ranger crouches down to trans-locate a lichen from a fallen oak tree.

Climate change and sustainability 

Together, we're securing our future with action on climate and the environment. Learn more about how we're responding to the changing climate at places in our care.

Two National Trust staff crouching down to inspect the harbour wall at Mullion Cove, Cornwall
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How we're adapting to climate change 

Climate change is the greatest threat to the coastline, countryside and historic buildings in our care. Our new report, A Climate for Change: Adaptation and the National Trust, reveals how we’re tackling its causes and effects and identifying future hazards.

Community hedge laying and tree planting day at High Tilberthwaite Farm, Coniston, South Lakes, Cumbria
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How you can help tackle climate change 

Play your part by learning how to reduce your carbon footprint and reducing plastic waste. Plus, find out how to join the Great Big Green Week campaign.

History and heritage

Find out how your support helps us look after the past, from conserving historic buildings to revealing archaeological sites and supporting urban heritage projects.

Archaeologist revealing a mosaic floor in the northern wing at Chedworth Roman Villa, Gloucestershire

Archaeology 

Archaeology reveals the stories of people and communities from the past. Find out about the Anglo-Saxon burial ground at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire and many other rich and diverse sites.

A close-up of a hand gently brushing a dusty surface with a specialist brush, at Tyntesfield in Bristol
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Tackling dust in historic houses 

Discover why the issue of protecting historic surfaces from dust is important to conservation work.

The book is being held open and inside you can see a depiction of a religious scene and on the other page is writing titled Dominica Resurrections. The person holding open the book is wearing a black and white striped top
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Rare prayer book returned to Moseley Old Hall 

Father John Huddleston's rare prayer book, possibly used to convert King Charles II to Catholicism on his deathbed, is on display at Moseley Old Hall.

Conservation work being carried out at the studio at Knole in Kent
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Our work at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio 

Find out about the work of our team at the Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio in Kent and how we help care for a large number of objects from properties all over the country.

Communities

Find out what we're doing to connect the places in our care to the communities they serve and make sure that everyone can benefit from nature, beauty and history.

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Mindful Meadow at Chirk Castle 

Chirk Castle are delighted to have received a grant from Cadwyn Clwyd to create a Mindful Meadow at Chirk Castle working in partnership with local groups to contribute to its design and creation.

Two friends looking at the planted flowers at the temporary urban park at Castlefield Viaduct, Manchester
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New research reveals need for urban green space 

Explore the report we've commissioned revealing the surge in people’s use of green spaces during the coronavirus pandemic and the inequality of access to nature in many towns and cities.

A conservator cleaning a large painting, called 'The Embarkation of George IV from Whitehall the Opening of Waterloo Bridge, 1817' by John Constable, 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.