Press release | Media | National Trust

Members shared their views and voted on three resolutions, including whether to offer menus that are at least 50% plant-based at the Foundation’s 300 food and beverage outlets. Other resolutions concerned the Trust’s response to the climate and environmental emergency, and the Climate and Nature Bill, which was recently put forward as a Private Members’ Bill. Resolutions are proposed, approved and supported by the members of the National Trust.

The results of voting on decisions are summarized as follows:

Resolution 1. Members’ Resolution on Plant-Based Food Choices in Restaurants – Passed (57,498 in favor/20,111 against)

Resolution 2: Members’ Resolution on Strengthening the Response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency – Passed (63,251 in favor / 13,866 against)

Resolution 3. Members’ resolution on the Climate and Nature Bill – passed (62,445 in favor, 13,747 against)

Full texts of the resolutions are available at

Trustees will review the outcome of the resolutions later this fall before informing members.

René Olivieri, Chairman of the National Trust’s Board of Trustees, said: “I am grateful to all the members who took the time to join us at our AGM today, as well as the thousands of others who voted on resolutions and in our elections over the past few months. I always appreciate this opportunity to talk to members and hear their views on our work and what is important to them.

“As members heard today, this was our last annual general meeting before we launch a new 10-year strategy in January. This provided an excellent opportunity to reflect on all that the Trust and its supporters have achieved over the past decade and prepare for the next. We look forward to sharing more information about this soon.

“The Board of Trustees will now take some time to consider the outcome of the vote and we will contact members again through our normal means of communication in the coming weeks.”

Members also voted in elections for the National Trust Board. The board is the governing body that appoints trustees and helps monitor and support their work. The council is made up of 36 members with a wide range of expertise in everything from education and agriculture to nature and the built environment. Half of the Council’s members are appointed directly by members, and the other half by organizations with a vested interest in the work of the Trust. These organizations are known as appointing authorities, and elections for appointing authorities are held every six years. This year, National Trust members voted to elect both individuals and appointing bodies to the boards.

Based on the voting results, the Council will include:

Nutana Bhayankaram (42,736 votes, elected)

Sarah Greene (43,251 votes, re-elected)

Min Grimshaw (42,324 votes, re-elected)

Mark Horton (43,243 votes, elected)

Sandy Nairn (42,667 votes, re-elected)

Joshua Rice (42,087 votes, elected)

The following were elected as the appointing bodies:

Conservation Action – Elected

Council of British Archeology (CBA) – re-elected

English Heritage – re-elected

Gardens Trust (The) – elected

Historic houses – re-elected

Institute of Conservation (ICON) – elected

Keep Britain in Order – elected

Marine Conservation Society – elected

Association of Museums – re-elected

National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales (NFU) – re-elected

Open Space Society – re-elected

Ramblers – re-elected

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) – re-elected

RSPB – re-elected

Soil Association – re-elected

Sustrans – elected

Wildlife Trusts (The) – re-elected

UK World Heritage – elected

Hilary McGrady, chief executive of the National Trust, said: “It was another busy and positive general meeting and it was great to be in Newcastle with many of our members. I was pleased to hear their ideas and celebrate the diversity of work we have achieved with their support.

I am also pleased that a record number of members applied to join our Council this year. The Council plays a truly important role in our governance and it is therefore important that its members reflect the full range of the Trust’s work – from nature and land management to collections and conservation. I look forward to working with the newly elected members soon.”

Questions from members ranged from providing passes to Trust banking facilities to installing electric vehicle charging points at National Trust sites.

The quick vote results were 53% for resolutions, 57% for Council elections and 50% for appointing authorities.

The results can be read in full resolution here: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/annual-general-meeting A full recording of the day will be available shortly on the same page.