National Trust warns of sharing information with "anti-woke" entryist group

The group Restore Trust is encouraging people to become members of the National Trust, as well as to “sign up” through its own website in online posts calling to keep historic locations “unspoilt”.

National Trust Director of Communications Celia Richardson warned on social media Restore Trust has nothing to do with the charity.

“It has nothing to do with the charity and we have not asked anyone to give their details to this company.”

“It is NOT an ad for joining the National Trust,” she wrote. “It is an ad asking people to ‘sign up’ ie. give their details to a private company that is nothing to do with the National Trust, though it uses the charity’s images and NT in its handle.”

Restore Trust declared itself “anti-woke” and has pushed for motions at National Trust AGMs in opposition to what it calls “ephemeral trends” and “political activism” in the National Trust’s work, particularly how the charity presents colonialism and slavery.

The private company behind Restore Trust, RT2021, has links to climate denial group Net Zero Watch which is based at 55 Tufton Street, the same address as libertarian think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA).

Groups based at 55 Tufton Street were supportive of Liz Truss’s economic policy as Prime Minister, and have been accused of lobbying without transparency.

Restore Trust’s motions and candidates for the National Trust Council at November’s National Trust AGM were roundly defeated in votes from members of the conservation charity.

A National Trust spokesperson said: "Restore Trust advertisements have been reported as confusing and concerning by our supporters. They are nothing whatsoever to do with the National Trust.

“Restore Trust is a private company that is asking people to 'sign up' but this is not in any way linked to joining the National Trust. We would never ask anyone to give their private details to an unrelated company in this way. We are monitoring this situation carefully."

RT2021 was accused by The Good Law Project of breaching data protection law, and subsequently changed its practices following a successful legal challenge from the legal charity.