Trust sets ‘ambitious’ membership target
● Almost £60m to be spent on heritage ● NTS aims for £10m in donations a year
Almost £60 million will be spent on preserving Scotland’s heritage over the next five years by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) as the agency announced their “most ambitious” programme.
The conservation charity wantstoincreaseitsmembers from an existing total of about 375,000 to 490,000.
NTS also wants to boost the amount it receives in annual donations to more than £10 million.
The trust also set the target of increasing visitor numbers to its sites to more than five million a year in its corporate strategy for the peri- od 2018 to 2023. Key amongst its plans will be the construction of a “box” around Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s The Hill House in Helensburgh in a bid to protect the architecturally renowned property.
An urgent campaign to raise £1.5 million for the conservation project is well underway, allowing crucial work to start in coming weeks.
The charity is also looking at how it can enhance visitor experience at its properties, as well as preserving them for future generations.
Chief executive Simon Skinner said: “This strategy outlines everything that the National Trust for Scotland stands for – protecting our heritage, sharing unique experiences with people and promoting Scotland, all through the collective endeavour of our supporters and staff.
“To do that, we need to create an efficient and sustainable business, which delivers our conservation ambitions.”
Mr Skinner added: “Our charity is unique in Scotland in that its remit is to protect the full spectrum of cultural, built and natural heritage.
“Our independent charitable status also gives us the freedom to take a long-term view about what is best for heritage, to make our voice heard when it is needed and to take radical action, just as we are doing at The Hill House.
“This plan for the next five years sets out how we can make the trust fit for the future, through investment in every aspect of our organisation – our people, our places and delivering the technology that both of them need in an ever-changing world.
“We have a range of bold projects under way the length and breadth of Scotland from The Hill House in Helensburgh and Brodick Castle on Arran, all the way up to our ongoing investment in Inverewe Garden.
“This strategy gives us a renewed focus on the future and underlines our commitment to the totality of Scotland’s heritage, landscapes and legacy and what it can do for our communities.”
The trust is custodian of thousands of acres of countryside and more than 60 historic properties and gardens, but has been hit hard by declining visitor numbers.
Mr Skinner said the trust had historically been “big on aspiration”, but ultimately failed to deliver results and that it starts each year facing a £10m deficit.
The organisation recently launched its “For the Love of Scotland” campaign, which features well-known Scottish celebrities, including cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, actor Brian Cox and Hollywood star Gerard Butler.