The National Trust is a charity that is run completely independent of the Government and is funded in whole by membership fees, donations and revenue the trust raises from its commercial operations. At present the National Trust has over 3.7 million members and over 17 million people pay for entry to properties managed by the Trust. The National Trust helps to protect over 350 historic properties, gardens and ancient monuments. But that is not all, the Trust also takes care of nature reserves, forest and woods so that everyone can benefit. If you are not yet a member of the National Trust, here are five reasons why you should join.
1. You become the ultimate explorer
When you become a member of the National Trust you will be given free and unlimited access to over 500 properties. These properties range from stately homes, to nature reserves and even gold mines. You will become addicted to your National Trust membership because there is so much to explore and you need never worry that you will have nothing new to discover. There is always a new adventure to be had.
2. There are some great beaches
The National Trust takes care of an astonishing 10 per cent of the coastline of the England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means your membership will entitle you to enjoy beautiful cliffs, wild sands and crystal waters. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer flip-flops or hiking boots, rock climbing or building sand castles, there are plenty of reasons why you should head to the coast. If you are really lucky you may even get to see some marine life that visit the country’s shores such as dolphins and seals.
3. You can travel back in time
If you become a member of the National Trust you will get to enjoy a variety of historical artefacts. You will get to see the footprints of people who lived thousands of years ago or visit a World War Two airbase that was kept secret from the public but helped win the war. There is even a Roman villa that you can visit with some amazing contraptions such as slate bed that weighs over a ton that was built for Queen Victoria. There are plenty of stories just waiting to be discovered, that you will not regret joining the organisation.
4. You could become an adrenaline junkie
When you become a member of the National Trust you can start cycling across many miles of dedicated trails. You can even surf some of the best breaks that can be found in the North Atlantic. If that is not your cup of tea, why not take a canoeing trip along some of the UK’s great rivers? Being a member of the National Trust means you will never be short of activities because you get access to some wonderful outdoor locations and are able to hire sports equipment when you get there.
5. You become a champion of conservation
As we said earlier, the National Trust receives no money from the government, and instead relies on membership subscriptions and donations. By becoming a member of the National Trust you will be contributing to the conservation of over 257,000 hectares of land as well as historic properties, gardens and coastline. If that is not reason enough to become a member, we don’t know what is.
