What a joy to hear the Charity Commission's inquiry conclusion that "the Trust has provided a well-reasoned response to the question of how the publication of the report furthered the charity’s purposes."

The report in question was the Trust's 'Interim Report on the Connections between Colonialism and Properties now in the Care of the National Trust, including Links with Historic Slavery’ published in September 2020. It was a brave report examining the links between the Trust's properties and histories of colonialism and slavery. For reasons that are beyond me, it led to public criticism that the Trust was acting outside its charitable purposes which are focussed on the preservation, for the benefit of the nation, of lands and buildings.

It is good to know that the Commission has taken a broad interpretation of those objects and that facing up to the less savoury parts of this country's history (and dare I say it the source of the wealth of some of those in leadership) is exactly what the Trust can be doing, even if its reputation has been diminished in the eyes of a minority.

That's the fighting talk I like to hear in the charity arena!