| page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | new administrative regions map |

If you would prefer to view the complete word document of this article please click here .

The twentieth century saw the National Trust grow from a tiny organisation with a visionary idea into one of our country's proudest achievements. Now, with over 300 historic properties and gardens, almost 600 miles of coastline and nearly a quarter of a million hectares of countryside in our ownership, we protect some of our most important collections, mansion houses, vernacular buildings, coast and countryside for everyone to treasure and enjoy. In addition we have nearly 40,000 volunteers and over 2.8 million members supporting us in our work across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Thanks not least to that tremendous support, our core purpose - to protect and care for places of historic interest and/or natural beauty for the benefit of the nation - is highly valued by the nation and as important as ever. But our internal structure, designed for a much smaller organisation, has become out of date. We have become too bureaucratic, and we need to be in closer touch with our volunteers, members, supporters and the communities in and around our properties. We need to build on our many successes and strengthen our ability to protect the many special places in our care. That is why a major organisational review was initiated in 2000, and why we are now proposing changes to the organisation.

The aims of the changes are to:

• strengthen our ability to protect and care for our historic properties and countryside
• provide an even better service to our volunteers, members, supporters, visitors, tenants, local communities - indeed, all those who care about what we do
• strengthen our internal organisation and improve decision-making
• provide more opportunities and resources for staff development
• work more closely with people and organisations outside the Trust who share our aims
• share and promote our experience and ideas more widely
• ensure better representation of our properties at the heart of the Trust's decision-making
• improve the way we provide skills and advice to our property managers.