National Trust LEFTIES ignored core traditional visitors admits outgoing head.
THE outgoing head of the National Trust has admitted that its core
members had been ignored as the charity faced a backlash over a spate of
controversies.
THE outgoing head of the National Trust has admitted that its core
members have been ignored as the charity faced a backlash over a spate of
‘lefty’ controversies.
Speaking in the wake of the gay pride controversy where volunteers were
required to wear rainbow badges Dame Helen Ghosh admitted: “Sometimes some of
our perhaps more traditional visitors have felt that they are not being catered
for as they once felt that they were.”
Dame Helen, who is leaving to take over as Master of Balliol College,
Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “Sometimes I see
signs that our places, or things going on, that perhaps tread too far in one
direction than another.
“It is sometimes the case that we appeal too much to one audience, and
not enough to another."
The 61-year-old, who took up the position in 2012 from Dame Fiona
Reynolds, added: “I haven’t got a specific example in mind. I think what I’m
describing is that in order to be open-armed to welcome the widest possible
group of visitors to our places, sometimes some of our perhaps more traditional
visitors have felt that they are not being catered for as they once felt that
they were.”
The long-standing conservation charity, which was formed in 1895 and has
over 4 million members has come under fire recently for a wide-range of
controversial issues.
Volunteers were required to wear gay pride badges if
they wanted to be able to interact with the public, the supposed ‘outing’ of
Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer, one-time owner of Felbrigg hall near Cromer and
changing the recipe of its popular flapjacks.
Previously it had also been criticised for dropping the word ‘Easter’
from its annual egg hunt it runs with Cadbury and “airbrushing” out Christianity
from the religious festival.
The Trust is also heading for controversy when the issue of hunting with
hounds is due to be debated a the annual AGM in October.
Currently trail hunting - where hounds and riders follow a scent that was
laid earlier - is permitted on the charity’s estates but this has been seen by
animal rights campaigners as simply a way to get around the hunting
band
Sir Roy Strong, a former director of both London’s Victoria & Albert
museum and the National Portrait Gallery, blasted the Trust on the Radio 4
current affairs show.
Previously it had also been criticised for dropping the word ‘Easter’
from its annual egg hunt it runs with Cadbury and “airbrushing” out Christianity
from the religious festival.
The Trust is also heading for controversy when the issue of hunting with
hounds is due to be debated a the annual AGM in October.
Currently trail hunting - where hounds and riders follow a scent that was
laid earlier - is permitted on the charity’s estates but this has been seen by
animal rights campaigners as simply a way to get around the hunting
band
Sir Roy Strong, a former director of both London’s Victoria & Albert
museum and the National Portrait Gallery, blasted the Trust on the Radio 4
current affairs show.
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