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.

Report snapshot
3 Views

📋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

Impact Report 2024-2025

13.6 million guests and donors served; 80.5 million lbs of goods diverted from landfill; 95% of donated textiles make a tangible impact (less than 5% to landfill)
Key Metric 1
816,635 tonnes of carbon emissions displaced; 135,192 kilolitres of water saved; equivalent to planting 37.5 million trees or removing 177,529 cars from the road
Key Metric 2
Over $1 million raised through GoodWorks@Work campaigns including $573,308 Christmas Kettle, $167,787 Send a Kid to Camp, $96,021 Fight for Freedom (modern slavery), $102,464 Brighter Days; 110 donation drives collected 183,513 lbs of goods
Key Metric 3
The Salvation Army in Canada: 3 million visits for assistance last year; 4.8 million community and shelter meals distributed; 345,000 Christmas assistance visits; 8,350 shelter/addictions/detox/mental health beds; 73 individuals removed from human trafficking situations; 2,900 children and teens attended summer camps
2025

Social and Environmental Impact Report 2024-25

6.9 million customers served in 2024-25 (up 15%); 77,000 tonnes textiles and 25,000 tonnes other items collected; 505,000 tonnes carbon emissions avoided
Key Metric 1
£5.43m raised for The Salvation Army UK and Ireland; £2.87m raised for partner charities, local authorities, schools and clubs; 6,663 free clothing vouchers distributed (up 28%)
Key Metric 2
1,357 paid colleagues; 6,091 volunteers; 170 volunteers moved into paid employment; 6% reduction in operational carbon emissions vs 2019-20 baseline; Project Re:claim won Recycler of the Year at Plastics Industry Awards 2024
Key Metric 3
Outstanding Charity Retailer of the Year 2024 (Charity Retail Association); Environment and Sustainability Award (CRA 2024); Social Value Award 2025; Recycler of the Year (Plastics Industry Awards 2024); 2 Star Outstanding Employer Accreditation (Best Companies Ltd); Best Benefits Launch/Relaunch Award (Reward Gateway 2024)
2024

Impact Report 2023/24

222,500 homes changed for the better through £34 million of grants delivered via Ofgem's Energy Redress Scheme — a record-breaking year; £117 million allocated to 536 energy projects via Redress since 2018
Key Metric 1
16,000 householders received online energy advice through Energy Advice London; 3,500 spoke to a specialist advisor by phone or email; 12,809 households received free advice through Wales Nest scheme with 4,816 receiving home improvement packages
Key Metric 2
28,000+ free SME net zero resources accessed; 1,384 bespoke energy saving reports delivered to 969 SMEs; average annual energy bill saving of £595 for Nest scheme households in Wales
Key Metric 3
Commissioned by the Climate Change Committee to analyse international climate policy responses and define lessons for UK — research highlighted 12 initiatives addressing gaps in UK climate policy