Appointing Bodies
Our Council's Appointing Bodies are 18 organisations that are elected by National Trust members every six years. Learn about what they are and what they do.
About our Council and Appointing Bodies
Our Council is one of our two main governance bodies and plays an important role in how the National Trust is governed. The Council's key governance responsibilities are to appoint the Board of Trustees and hold it to account.
The Council is made up of 36 members, with 18 elected members and 18 appointed members from organisations (called Appointing Bodies) which have a connection to the Trust's work.
Our Appointing Bodies are 18 organisations that are elected by National Trust members every six years. The organisations generally operate in areas that are connected to our work, such as nature, conservation, heritage and volunteering.
Our current Appointing Bodies
In 2024 our members elected these organisations to appoint a Council member:
- Action for Conservations
- Council for British Archaeology (CBA)
- English Heritage
- The Gardens Trust
- Historic Houses
- Institute of Conservation (Icon)
- Keep Britain Tidy
- Marine Conservation Society
- Museums Associations
- National Farmers' Union of England and Wales (NFU)
- Open Spaces Society
- Ramblers
- Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
- RSPB
- Soil Association
- Sustrans
- The Wildlife Trusts
- World Heritage UK
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