2020 has been about keeping the show on the road

The National Trust’s director general Hilary McGrady reflects on a difficult year and considers the importance of nature-focused projects for 2021.

At the start of this year, the National Trust was set to celebrate 12 months of events and activities to mark our 125th anniversary. In January, to kick off that celebration, I announced our ambition to plant 20 million trees, establish green corridors in UK cities and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030. This would be alongside a diverse range of conservation projects, while also continuing to provide fun and inspiration for visitors to all our houses, gardens and open spaces.

Of course, I could scarcely have imagined how the year would pan out. COVID-19 has had an extraordinary impact on all our lives – on individuals, organisations, businesses, charities and local communities, with financial challenges for so many. The National Trust has not been immune.

When the first lockdown was announced, we followed the guidance and closed all of our historic houses, gardens, shops, cafés and holiday cottages for several months. The loss of revenue from these and other sources is estimated at around £200m, and as a result we’ve had to make considerable cuts to ensure the Trust’s long-term sustainability. Losing committed and experienced people from all parts of the workforce has been heartbreaking.

We also had to stop or defer £124m of projects, including some of our work to restore nature, at a time when access to green spaces is more important than ever.

Those early months of lockdown proved just how keenly people need that exposure to nature and the outdoors. We responded by offering more online content to connect people and inspire them to enjoy nature from their homes or on their walks outdoors. I have been heartened by the many people who have got in touch to share their experiences of lockdown and the time they have had to enjoy connecting with nature and with others, whether listening to birdsong, watching a sunset or simply noticing the blossom on the trees.

Gradually reopening the Trust’s spaces in June enabled many of our members to return to their favourite properties. It also presented challenges. To ensure the safety of staff and visitors, we needed to introduce pre-booking and social distancing. This required a mammoth effort from our teams to set up a booking system and to make all the changes needed in gardens and houses. It was a really positive example of adapting our plans to meet a changing need, and it showed what can be achieved when you bring together a team of diverse skills from across the organisation, with a really clear brief and all focused on the same priority: delivering at pace. Although the booking system experienced some initial teething issues, hundreds of thousands of people have since been able to safely visit the places they love, with many of them telling us how glad they are to be back.

The National Trust’s co-founder Octavia Hill said, “We all want quiet. We all want beauty. We all need space.” COVID-19 has shone a new light on the truth of that, as well as on the inequality of access to green spaces, particularly in urban areas. Just as the government at the end of World War II had the vision to establish our National Parks at the same time as creating the NHS, now is the time to invest in the green spaces that are so essential to the health and happiness of the millions living in towns and cities.

The National Trust has been around long enough to have experienced and survived major events before, from world wars to foot-and-mouth disease, and we feel immensely grateful for the members who have supported us throughout these turbulent times.

Looking ahead to 2021, I am anticipating another challenging year as restrictions continue and public confidence is slow to return. Nonetheless, I am hoping to restart some of our projects and rebuild our team of project managers. My commitment remains constant: I want the National Trust to continue to tackle climate change, to champion nature and to provide everyone with the space and the opportunity to feel refreshed by the natural world and the heritage around them, and to feel that they can play their part in helping to care for and protect it.

Hilary McGrady is director general of the National Trust