The National Trust

The National Trust is the biggest conservation charity in Europe. 6 million members. 12,000 staff. 64,000 volunteers (pre-pandemic). 780 miles of coastline, 250,000 hectares of land, 500 historic houses.

A 125-year-old institution, partway through a 10-year strategy to tackle the crisis in nature, with a new Director General — Hilary McGrady — wanting to shift the Trust from places for people to people who love places. The challenge wasn’t one project. It was a sequence: align the culture behind the strategy, refresh the purpose and values for a 125th anniversary, then — after a pandemic that changed volunteering forever — rebuild the volunteer relationship from first principles.

We’ve been the Trust’s culture partner across three connected pieces of work. Purpose and values (2018–2020) — we consulted 400+ people face-to-face across the UK and 2,500+ online to co-create four new values: Love people and places; Welcome everyone; Think now and forever; Make it happen. Launched on the Trust’s 125th anniversary with a film led by the Director General.

Volunteer and staff experience (2020 onwards) — mapping the moments that matter (inspiring introductions, warm welcome, quality conversations, thoughtful thank-yous) and embedding the values into how people felt the Trust day to day.

The Volunteering Charter (2022–23) — the first charter of its kind in the Trust’s 128-year history, co-created with over 1,000 people across roles and regions, soft-launched during Volunteers Week 2023 and referenced by the Director General at the Trust’s AGM that October.