National Trust faces fresh backlash as 13 veteran volunteers are terminated over inclusivity push

The National Trust is facing renewed scrutiny after terminating the volunteering agreements of 13 veteran gardeners at Mottistone Manor on the Isle of Wight, in a move the charity framed as part of its drive to modernize and be more inclusive.

The volunteers, who have collectively logged more than a century of service at the property famed in the Domesday Book, were informed by email that their volunteering arrangement was being terminated. The Trust said the gardeners had failed to attend health and safety briefings, did not embrace sustainability changes, and helped foster a culture where individuals felt free to act or speak without regard for others. The decision comes amid ongoing debate within the heritage sector over how to balance tradition with evolving norms on inclusion and workplace culture.

The volunteers strongly contest the allegations, arguing they were denied access to an impartial complaints process and describing the termination as politically charged. Graham Field, 76, a former civil servant who has worked at the gardens for 12 years, said the group had devoted more than 100 years of combined experience to maintaining the gardens, which are among the area’s oldest and most storied features. He told supporters that, by email, the Trust’s leadership effectively ended their long partnership and cast the story of Mottistone in a way that did not reflect the volunteers’ contributions.

“We have been caught up in some politicised agenda when all we ever wanted to do was to tell the story of Mottistone,” Field said in a statement relayed to the Trust. “With a cold and dismissive click of a send button, over 100 years of gardening skill, site-specific knowledge and hard work were lost.” Several long-serving volunteers reported that access to the Trust’s formal complaint channels was restricted, a point they described as discriminatory amid what they call a broader disruption at the site.

The volunteers allege that during a pause in activity while the Trust rolled out a new approach for the garden’s future, three newer, less-experienced team members were allowed to work while the long-serving volunteers faced restrictions. They characterized the move as part of an orchestrated campaign to remove them rather than a measured update to operations. The group’s supporters say the pattern is not isolated to Mottistone and that similar experiences have arisen at other Trust properties.

Cornelia van der Poll, speaking for Restore Trust—the campaign group that advocates traditional values for the National Trust—voiced concern that the charity is underappreciating the value of its volunteer base. “Pity the National Trust doesn't seem to value the amazing resource it has in volunteers,” she said, arguing that the garden’s volunteers offer expertise that is not easily replaced.

The National Trust has not publicly commented on the specific case beyond a statement given to a horticultural trade publication. In that broader note, the charity said some volunteers chose not to continue volunteering following a pause while the organization developed a new approach for the garden’s future at Mottistone. The Trust added that change can be challenging and that the organization remains committed to fostering an inclusive and rewarding volunteering culture at Mottistone.

The current controversy arrives amid a prior wave of criticism facing the National Trust over other policy shifts. Last year, the charity drew backlash for a vegan redesign of its cafes, and in 2021 it faced controversy over omitting Christian holidays from its inclusivity and wellbeing calendar. The Mottistone dispute has intensified questions about how the Trust balances its mission to preserve heritage with evolving social expectations about workplace culture and inclusivity.

Potted histories of the manor speak to the broader tension: Mottistone Manor’s gardens have stood for centuries as a testament to horticultural craft, and the site’s ties stretch back to the Domesday Book. The current dispute raises questions about how volunteer stewardship can continue to reflect both traditional care and contemporary values in a charity that relies heavily on volunteer labor across its vast network of properties.