Volunteers protest over ‘patronising’ National Trust leader

Chairman’s email on controversies shows ‘a complete lack of sensitivity’

places of historic interest or natural beauty. Eventually bosses backed down, letting volunteers choose whether or not to wear the lanyards.

Mr Parker wrote: “As I have said before, however, our actions were misconstrued. We believe we have done things with the best of intentions, even though this does not always please everyone.”

However, “concerned” volunteers wrote to The Telegraph complaining that Mr Parker had misjudged the mood of many of its 60,000 volunteers.

“Volunteers and many visitors certainly did not think it was a case of ‘silly season’ or ‘goofy stories’ or that the Trust’s actions were misconstrued,” the letter, signed “Some National Trust volunteers”, says.

‘Volunteers… did not think it was that the Trust’s actions were misconstrued’

“The chairman’s rather patronising comments belittle the very real concerns and objections that volunteers at Felbrigg had about the way the Trust had ‘outed’ the former owner of the property to further its LGBTQ agenda. Then it ‘punished’ volunteers by banning them from front line volunteering in the property.

“His comments show a complete lack of sensitivity and we are surprised that someone did not advise him against some of the language used.”

A spokesman for the Trust said: “As part of his look back, he also refers to some of the challenges we faced, including receiving some critical coverage over August, which is commonly known as the silly season.

“He does not say the Felbrigg issue in itself was silly or dismiss it in any way.”