Annual Report 2024-2025

The National Trust is Europe's largest conservation charity, protecting historic places and natural landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2024-25, 25.9 million visits were made to Trust properties (up from 25.3m); membership stood at 5.35 million individuals; total conservation spend on property projects and acquisitions was £221.2m (up from £193.4m); and appeals, gifts and grants reached record levels. A new 10-year strategy, People and Nature Thriving, was launched in January 2025, committing to create 250,000 hectares of nature-rich landscape over the next decade.

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📋About

Protection and conservation of historic buildings (330 houses, 200 gardens, 41 castles, 47 industrial monuments, 140 hillforts); countryside and coastline management; nature restoration (Riverlands, peatland, rewilding, tree planting); visitor experiences and access; Heritage Open Days; Blossom Festival (urban access to nature); outreach and urban places programmes; volunteer programme; apprenticeships (conservation, gardening, stone masonry, joinery); membership scheme; Discovery Houses programme Custom geography from upload: England, Wales and Northern Ireland

📊Key Metrics

25.9 million visits to Trust properties in 2024-25 (up from 25.3m in 2023-24); 5.35 million individual members (2.61 million memberships) Key Metric 1
£221.2m total spend on property projects and acquisitions (up from £193.4m); £7.3m invested at Sandilands to convert 30-hectare former golf course into wetland nature reserve Key Metric 2
Record fundraising appeals, gifts and grants in 2024-25; 5% increase in paying visitor numbers; 896 miles of coastline and ~250,000 hectares of land protected Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • New 10-year strategy People and Nature Thriving launched January 2025; RHS Chelsea Flower Show Octavia Hill Garden won Silver Gilt Medal, Children's Choice and People's Choice awards; partnership with Defra, English Community Forests and Woodland Trust to plant 2 million trees on Trust land over 5 years
  • Borrowdale rainforest designated King's Series National Nature Reserve; £18m Bath Assembly Rooms conservation and visitor experience project approved; 49 Sycamore Gap Trees of Hope saplings to be gifted across UK; major infrastructure projects approved at Shugborough, Saltram and Trelissick
  • 130th anniversary year; ranked 46th in Financial Times UK Best Employers 2025; Board expanded to 13 Trustees with new non-voting Trustee apprentice role; 70,000 people consulted over 18 months to shape new strategy; 25% carbon emissions reduction since 2019/20

📍Geography

Other

2025 Enhanced

Annual Impact Report & Accounts 2024-25

61,819 native oysters deployed across UK restoration projects in 2024/25
Key Metric 1
15,064 people participated in the Beachwatch beach clean programme, submitting 1,256 litter surveys — the highest in the programme's 31-year history
Key Metric 2
17,613 young people engaged through in-person or online youth programme sessions
Key Metric 3
£11.5 billion Ofwat investment package secured for storm overflow cuts in England and Wales following sustained MCS advocacy
2025 Enhanced

Cats Protection Annual Report 2024

191,000 cats and kittens helped — 525 a day (2023: 184,000); 29,000 cats rehomed; 168,000 cats neutered including 13,000 feral cats; 93,000 cats microchipped
Key Metric 1
£96.9 million total income (2023: £89.3 million); £108.5 million net assets; £50.1 million legacy income; 9,800 volunteers (2023: 9,200)
Key Metric 2
430 cat owners helped to flee domestic abuse with 750 cats given temporary foster homes (Lifeline) — up from 229 in 2023; 5.9 million website visits; 1,290 welfare talks to 37,700 people in schools and community groups
Key Metric 3
Mandatory microchipping for cats in England came into force June 2024 — direct result of years of Cats Protection campaigning; Pet Abduction Act came into force August 2024 making cat theft a specific criminal offence; Cat Manifesto sent to every election candidate with 111 newly elected MPs having responded
2025 Enhanced

Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25

32,000 people participated in learning activities; 65,000 volunteer hours contributed; 250,000 biodiversity-boosting plants and bulbs planted; 24,000 snowdrops planted by Royal Parks Half Marathon runners
Key Metric 1
94% of public rated their visit as good or excellent; 5 consecutive years all 8 parks awarded Green Flag; 160,000+ members making 300,000+ visits; membership generated £5.8m plus £814k Gift Aid
Key Metric 2
1,000 free plants donated to local charities, community groups and schools; 200 old noticeboards and maps replaced; 12,500 enquiries handled by visitor support team; Greenwich Park flagship restoration project completed
Key Metric 3
Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden at Regent's Park received planning permission and is progressing — opening Spring 2026; Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground renewal received planning permission — opening Spring 2026; Greenwich Park flagship restoration project completed — new meadows, shrubs, community facilities