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There is a National Trust IN Wales, a National Trust IN Cornwall, a National Trust IN Northern Ireland and a National Trust FOR Scotland (NTS). These obvious differences may prove negligible to some, but are nevertheless likely to underlie a difference of approach and attitude to the Celtic countries and the way they are administered by the English registered charity. One similarity is that the 'different' Trusts claim to 'preserve and protect' the cultural and natural heritage of the nations in which it owns vast amounts of land and property.
Another similarity is that the all the Trusts have charitable status and operate in a business like manner. To a certain extent it is excusable and often necessary in today's competitive climate, for charities to adopt a business like approach in order to maintain and/or develop their finances to stay afloat. However, there is a delicate balance between working towards the founding charitable aim of an organisation and functioning in a way that makes it unrecognisable from any other commercial business.
Some charities are founded on assets that have been donated by philanthropic individuals and/or institutions, because it is seen to be worthy of the promotion and protection of those assets. The NT is a charitable organisation of this type. So far so good; but what if a charity falls into financial difficulties as the NTS has done over recent years.
What options are left open to it to claw back lost revenue? If the NT was a business, it may consider selling off some of its assets, in this case its land or property. Earlier this month it was reported that this is exactly what NTS intends to do.
What right does NTS, or any charity of this type, have in selling off assets that many consider to be national treasurers? It has been speculated that some of the properties that the NTS will sell off are ones that are cherished by both its members and visiting public and there has been criticism that the NTS are faltering in their mission of preserving and protecting Scotland's heritage. It is also unlikely that the properties will be sold to other charities in an attempt to keep them open to the public.
The explanation NTS gives for this, is that in selling some of its properties it will be able to meet a predicted financial shortfall over the next three years. NTS visitor numbers have been falling, despite the fact that this is the biggest owner and conserver of Scotland's cultural and natural heritage. Are Scottish people not interested any more in their heritage or are the real reasons linked to the way NTS administers its assets? The latter is probably the more likely cause.
In May 2007 NTS banned the free annual commemorations at the Bannockburn battle ground and demanded that visitors pay an entrance fee, drawing widespread criticism from the nationalist movement, with some saying they wanted to quell the commemoration altogether. The Celtic League has previously encountered the autocratic attitude of the NT at first hand. In 1986 the Celtic League campaigned successfully to get the English National Trust to hand over the ownership of a small bird sanctuary island, Calf of Man, to the Manx National Trust. Up until this point, the English National Trust had owned the island for fifty years and had done so despite the establishment of the Manx National Trust in 1951 and the unique constitutional position of the Isle of Man.
Is the NT a charity, a business or something else? They have many thousands of members across the Celtic countries and to all appearances do what they say they do, regardless of the often extortionate fees they charge to non members for entrance fees, rents, car parking and the like. However, even if the developments in Scotland are the last resort of an organisation that sees no other way out of its financial burden, it should not have the right to sell its properties on the open housing market. The properties owned by NTS are national treasurers of Scotland and should be protected and promoted in a way that future generations can enjoy.
How else then could the NT raise revenue? If the NT was a business, maybe it would consider building houses on the large tracts of NT owned land to sell on the current and very buoyant housing market? No, the horror! But this is exactly what the NT IN Wales is planning to do. The NT IN Wales are planning to build over 200 houses on the Erddig Estate at Rhostyllen. Local people are saying that the development will continue to push up house prices in the area, will be only for commuters, is not needed and that the National Trust in Wales is not taking into account the views of the community.
Are the Trusts actions in Scotland and Wales worthy of the name of a charitable organisation? If charities act in a way that looses them the trust of the communities in which they work and function like a capitalist enterprise, what right do they have to continue to call themselves a charity? If NTS or NT IN Wales are not able to meet their charitable aims or financial budgets in a way conducive to their charitable status, then they should be persuaded to hand over or merge their assets to/with an organisation that can.
In Scotland there is the Scottish Executive funded Historic Scotland and in Wales there is CADW. Although both organisations have also been criticised in the past by cultural and language campaigners, they have not reverted to selling off their assets or building houses for financial gain. Also, it would make more logical sense for only one charitable trust to exist in Scotland and Wales respectively, rather than two or more organisations competing against each other to do the same job. In Scotland at least there have been calls for NTS to merge with Historic Scotland. Both Historic Scotland and CADW are also exclusively Scottish and Welsh organisations and are not, like the NT, based in England.
A difference of approach and attitude may exist in the NT when it comes to how the Celtic countries are administered, but it seems that the organisation is very similar in one respect. When it come to persevering and protecting national heritage, at least where the Celtic countries are concerned, financial capital is of over riding importance.
(This article for Celtic News compiled by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
20/07/07
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