A national charity, the Gardens Trust is dedicated to protecting and conserving the heritage of designed landscapes. The Trust campaigns on their behalf to undertake research and conservation work, and encourage public appreciation and involvement. The Gardens Trust is also a membership organisation, reliant on members and donors to support their work.

The National Trust council’s Appointing Bodies consist of 18 organisations that are elected by National Trust members every six years and are to play an important role in how the National Trust is governed. The Council is made up of a total 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 in areas such as nature, conservation, heritage and volunteering.

The Head of Operations and Strategy at the Gardens Trust, Linden Groves said: “This is fantastic news! The Gardens Trust gathered an extraordinary 54,220 votes from National Trust members, demonstrating the value that they place on historic parks and gardens and the role that the Gardens Trust can play. We are delighted by this opportunity to work more closely with the National Trust to nurture the best possible future for its parks and gardens.”