The heritage body for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is set to lose £200m this year
More than a thousand jobs are at risk at the National Trust.
The organisation – which looks after properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – has put 1,200 roles at risk of redundancy.
The trust expects to lose up to £200m this year after being forced to close properties as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Director General Hilary McGrady told staff they had exhausted every other possibility before proposing job cuts.
She said: ‘It’s with huge regret that I am telling you today about the need to cut jobs. The trust’s strength is its people. Our charity has survived so long – through two world wars and a number of economic downturns, thanks to staff, volunteers and supporters. We would not be making these savings had we not exhausted every other possibility. We need to act now to ensure we are sustainable in the future.”
The trust, which has 5.6 million members, hopes to save £100m - almost a fifth of its annual spend - through changing the way it operates and reducing its payroll and budgets. The charity employs 9,500 staff, and losing 1,200 of its workforce would save around £60m.
In May, the National Trust for Scotland said it was ‘looking at all options’ to reduce costs as it has income had dropped substantially due to properties having to close and supporters cancelling their memberships. More than 400 staff were placed at risk of redundancy as many attractions are expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future.
