The National Trust could be forced to appoint its own watchdog to ensure it is accountable to its members, volunteers and tenants.
Restore Trust, a campaign group made up of the charity’s members, also wants to abolish discretionary votes by the chairman at the annual meeting, which means that the views of individual members can be overruled.
It has submitted two resolutions calling for the changes earlier this month. They are set to be debated at what could be a stormy meeting of the National Trust this October.
If the motions are passed by members at the meeting, they could become binding on the Trust’s board.
The news came as Restore Trust organised a series of events around the UK this year at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, Shilstone House in Devon, and a property in East Sussex over the next three months, with historians including David Goodhart looking to raise awareness among members.
‘National Trust must be seen as accountable’
The campaign group is concerned that while the NHS, parliament, local authorities, universities and many other important public organisations have ombudsmen, the National Trust – in spite of the fact that it is one of the largest membership organisations in the world – does not benefit from one.
Complaints about the Trust’s behaviour are dealt with by the chairman, who is not seen as independent of the Trust’s board.
While the Charity Commission regulates charities, including the National Trust, it does not investigate individual problems in the way that an independent ombudsman could.
The campaigners said that the existence of an independent ombudsman would encourage the organisation to establish procedures to effectively and transparently deal with complaints at an early stage, so that the intervention of an external ombudsman is rarely needed.
Cornelia van der Poll, a spokesman for Restore Trust, said: “It is important that the National Trust is seen to be accountable. As the nation’s largest private landowner, in particular, the charity is a powerful force in shaping the future of our countryside.”
A National Trust spokesman said: “We’re looking forward to our AGM and will be sharing this year’s resolutions with our members shortly. Like all charities, we’re held to account by the Charity Commission.”
Credit: Source link
