Restore Trust
{{Short description|British political advocacy group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Restore Trust
| logo = Restore Trust logo.png
| logo_size = 100px
| logo_alt = Restore Trust logo
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| named_after = National Trust
| type = Advocacy group
| status =
| purpose = Campaigning against changes to visitor experiences at National Trust properties
| coordinates =
| region_served = England and Wales
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| website = {{Official URL}}
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Restore Trust is a British political advocacy group which seeks to change policies of the National Trust.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/19/rejoin-national-trust-save-wokery/|work=The Daily Telegraph|title=Rejoin the National Trust to save it from wokery|first=Zewditu|last=Gebreyohanes|date=19 August 2022|access-date=14 September 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/about-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801235747/https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/about-us|archive-date=1 August 2023|work=Restore Trust|title=About Us|access-date=14 August 2023}} The group has aimed to bring resolutions to the National Trust annual general meeting (AGM) in an effort to restore the Trust to what it sees as "its core purpose", and has criticised the National Trust's work on rewilding and social inclusion which Restore Trust's organisers consider to be "woke".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/oct/31/national-trust-set-for-fresh-battle-over-culture-wars|website=The Guardian|title=National Trust AGM set for fresh battle over culture wars|first1=Ben|last1=Quinn|first2=Helena|last2=Horton|date=31 October 2022|access-date=14 September 2023}} They have encouraged their supporters to join the Trust's membership.
The group's directors include Zewditu Gebreyohanes, appointed by Boris Johnson as a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum,{{cite web |title=Three new Trustees appointed to The Victoria and Albert Museum |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/three-new-trustees-appointed-to-the-victoria-and-albert-museum |website=Gov.uk |access-date=14 November 2023 |language=en}} and Neil Record, the chairman of the Institute of Economic Affairs.{{cite web|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/12/06/is-the-national-trust-the-victim-of-astroturfing|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609120127/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/12/06/is-the-national-trust-the-victim-of-astroturfing|archive-date=9 June 2023|title=Is the UK National Trust influenced by a campaign group funded by lobbyists?|first=Charlotte|last=Jansen|date=6 December 2022|access-date=14 September 2023}} Gebreyohanes stepped down from her position as director in November 2023 shortly after no Restore Trust candidates were elected or resolutions passed at the Trust's 2023 AGM; the group's candidates and resolutions had also been rejected at the previous AGM.{{Cite news|date=2023-11-15 |title=Director of Restore Trust, campaign group putting pressure on National Trust, steps down from role|first=Alexander|last=Morrison|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/11/15/director-of-restore-trust-campaign-group-putting-pressure-on-national-trust-steps-down-from-role|newspaper=The Art Newspaper}}
Campaigns
Restore Trust focuses on a number of specific issues, among them:{{cite web|url=https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/campaign|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106215946/https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/campaign|archive-date=6 November 2022|website=Restore Trust|title=Our Campaign|access-date=14 September 2023}}{{cite news |last=Quinn |first=Ben |title=Insurgents to bring war on 'wokeness' to National Trust AGM |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/01/insurgents-bring-war-wokeness-national-trust-agm |work=The Guardian |date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505230633/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/01/insurgents-bring-war-wokeness-national-trust-agm |archive-date=5 May 2024|url-status=live}}
- The presentation of historic buildings, collections, gardens and countryside to the public;
- Opposing the introduction of what it terms "ephemeral trends", "political activism" and "wokeness" to visitor experiences (in particular the presentation of colonialism and slavery);
- The leadership of the National Trust;
- Proposed closures of historic properties and conversion to holiday lets;
- Sidelining of historical specialists;
- The Trust's opposition to fracking;{{cite web |title=Telegraph interview with Restore Trust Director, Zewditu Gebreyohanes |url=https://www.restoretrust.org.uk/media-and-press/telegraph-interview-with-restore-trust-director-zewditu-gebreyohanes |publisher=Restore Trust |access-date=14 November 2023}}
- Issues relating to specific properties, such as the restoration of Clandon Park House
AGM resolutions
In 2022, Restore Trust attempted to get two members' resolutions passed at the National Trust annual general meeting (AGM). Firstly, to abolish the chairman's discretionary proxy vote, and secondly to create an independent office of ombudsman 'to ensure the national trust remains accountable to its supporters'. Restore Trust also encouraged its supporters to vote for candidates from its proposed list which included historian Jeremy Black, conservative historian and activist Zareer Masani, and Stephen Green of the Christian Voice advocacy group. In response to the campaign, the National Trust's director of communications, Celia Richardson, said that she found the idea of "paid-for canvassing for places on our council" to be a "new and concerning" development.
Restore Trust did not get enough votes at the National Trust's AGM in November 2022 to have its candidates elected, nor to pass its resolution's on the National Trust's governance.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/06/right-leaning-group-fails-to-wrest-control-of-national-trust-from-political-takeover|work=The Guardian|title=Right-leaning group fails to wrest control of National Trust|first=Robert|last=Booth|date=6 November 2022|access-date=14 September 2023}}
Restore Trust director Zewditu Gebreyohanes blamed this result on the AGM's optional "Quick Vote" system, which allowed voters to cast a single vote agreeing with all preferences of the trustees, rather than voting on each issue separately. Gebreyohanes felt that the option had been introduced "surreptitiously" and claimed that the Quick Vote results had not been made public, a decision that she felt was "suspicious". The National Trust issued a statement saying that the Quick Vote option was introduced at the advice of an independent election services provider and was considered to be "best practice", used by many other member organisations, and had been explained in voting instructions sent to members in the summer.
Gebreyohanes resigned as Restore Trust director in November 2023 shortly after no Restore Trust candidates were elected or resolutions passed at the Trust's 2023 AGM either.{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Leigh |title=Anti-woke' group defeated in National Trust members' vote |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/anti-woke-group-defeated-in-national-trust-members-vote-4406643 |date=13 November 2023 |website=The Yorkshire Post}}
Criticisms
Restore Trust has attracted critical commentary in the news media; critics such as the Good Law Project have alleged that Restore Trust is engaged in astroturfing due to hidden connections with political lobbying groups.