Abercrombie & Fitch ex-CEO accused of exploiting men for sex

 

Abercrombie & Fitch ex-CEO accused of exploiting men for sex

 

By Rianna Croxford, investigations correspondent

BBC News and BBC Panorama

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-66889779

 

The ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and his British partner face allegations of exploitation from men recruited for sex events they hosted around the world.

 

A BBC investigation found a highly organised network used a middleman to find young men for the events with Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith.

 

Eight men told the BBC they attended these events, some of whom alleged they were exploited or abused.

 

Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith did not respond to requests for comment.

 

But the couple's middleman denied any wrongdoing and said men went into these events "with their eyes wide open".

 

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) - which also owns the Hollister brand - said it was "appalled and disgusted" by the alleged behaviour.

 

Two former US prosecutors who independently reviewed documents and testimony uncovered by the BBC have called for an investigation to determine whether charges for sex trafficking could be brought. Under US law, sex trafficking includes getting an adult to travel to another state or country to have sex for money by using force, fraud or coercion.

 

Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual acts

 

Over two decades from the 1990s, Mike Jeffries transformed A&F from a failing heritage outfitter into a multi-billion-dollar teen retailer by selling sex appeal, with preppy all-American shirtless male store models and provocative billboards.

 

Once one of America's highest-paid CEOs, he was a controversial figure who faced claims of discrimination against staff, concerns about his lavish expenses and complaints about the unofficial influence of his life partner, Matthew Smith, inside A&F.

 

In 2014, Mr Jeffries stepped down following declining sales and left with a retirement package valued at around $25m (£20.5m), according to company filings at the time.

 

How Jeffries used shirtless models to sell Abercrombie

The BBC has now uncovered allegations that the fashion mogul exploited young adult men for sex at events he hosted in his New York residences and luxurious hotels around the world, including in London, Paris, Venice, and Marrakesh.

 

As part of a two-year investigation, the BBC has spoken to 12 men who described attending or organising events involving sex acts run for Mr Jeffries, 79, and his British partner Mr Smith, 60, between 2009 and 2015.

 

The eight men who attended the events said they were recruited by a middleman, who they described as having a missing nose covered with a snakeskin patch. The BBC has identified him as James Jacobson.

 

Watch Panorama's The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, on BBC iPlayer now and on BBC One on Monday at 21:00 BST.

 

Listen to the podcast series, World of Secrets: Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys, available on BBC Sounds from 21:00 BST.

 

The Abercrombie Guys: the Dark Side of Cool will be releasing in the US on October 6 on BBC Select, available to audiences via Amazon Prime Video Channels, the Apple TV app and The Roku Channel.

 

The BBC carried out extensive fact-checking of the men's testimonies, which bore a striking number of similarities.

 

We obtained documents - including emails, flight tickets and detailed travel itineraries - that supported key points of the men's accounts. We also interviewed dozens of other sources, including former household staff.

 

Half the men who told the BBC about their recruitment alleged they had been initially misled about the nature of the events or not told sex was involved. Others said they understood the events would be sexual, but not exactly what was expected of them. All were paid.

 

Several told the BBC the middleman or other recruiters raised the possibility of modelling opportunities with A&F. All except one said they felt harmed by the experience.

 

David Bradberry, then 23, said he was introduced in 2010 to Mr Jacobson by an agent who described him as the gatekeeper to "the owners" of A&F, but said there was no mention of sex. At their meeting, he said Mr Jacobson suggested Bruce Weber - then A&F's official photographer - should take his picture.

 

Then, Mr Bradberry said, "Jim made it clear to me that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, that I would not be meeting with Abercrombie & Fitch or Mike Jeffries."

 

"I was paralysed," he said. "It was like he was selling fame. And the price was compliance." Mr Bradberry said he had been made to believe "this is where everybody gets their start". He recalled that Mr Jacobson gave him $500 and told him it was for his time.

 

Looking back, he said this incident should have been "a red flag" but he thought Mr Jacobson "was just a creepy old dude that I wouldn't have to see again".

 

Mr Bradberry accepted an invitation to a daytime event at Mr Jeffries' former home in the Hamptons on New York's Long Island - recently sold for $29m. He said he understood Mike Jeffries was a "powerful man" who could "make his career". Ahead of the event, he said Jim told him to buy an outfit with some A&F gift cards, which he said made it feel "legitimate" and "official".

 

At the Hamptons, Mr Bradberry said he spoke to Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith about his aspirations to be an A&F model. Later, he said, Mr Jeffries held "poppers" under his nose - a drug which can cause a strong head-rush and disorientation - and later had sex with him.

 

Men who attended these events told the BBC Mike Jeffries and Matthew Smith would engage in sexual activity with about four men or "direct" them to have sex with each other. Afterwards, the men said staff at the event handed them envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash.

 

Mr Bradberry said the "secluded" location and presence of Mr Jeffries' personal staff, dressed in A&F uniforms, supervising events meant he "didn't feel safe to say 'no' or 'I don't feel comfortable with this'".

 

The BBC investigation also uncovered details of the "well-oiled machine" organising sex events for Mr Jeffries, in which:

 

"Recruiters" would find men to attend his events and receive between $500 and $1,000 from Mr Jacobson for every referral

Mr Jacobson, described by the men as the "middleman" or "casting agent", found men for the sex events. The BBC was told he forwarded photos of them to Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith

Most of the men allege Mr Jacobson propositioned or sexually "auditioned" them, by requesting or offering to perform oral sex before being introduced to Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith

A personal "groomer" was hired to intimately shave body hair from some of men attending events, an experience some described as "dehumanising"

All the men said they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. They said they had little time to read it and were not allowed to keep copies, but understood they would be sued if they spoke out

A small group of Mr Jeffries' personal staff, who wore A&F uniforms, supervised the men - even during the sex acts - and handed them money

It is alleged Mr Jeffries funded the entire operation, including the money for referral fees, while Mr Smith organised the cash payments

Domestic staff who worked in Mr Jeffries' former Hamptons home told the BBC events were held there regularly at weekends. Some said they were instructed to leave the premises every Saturday afternoon for several years, leading them to believe something strange was taking place. One former staffer said he understood it was because his boss was having "playtime".

 

Barrett Pall, a former model turned life coach and activist, said he felt pressured into attending an event in the Hamptons in 2011. Then 22, he said he was recruited by an older model, who received a referral fee, to be his "replacement" for "some sort of sexual experience" with the couple.

 

He said he felt obliged to comply as the older man had been supporting him financially and he felt indebted. Like the other men, he said initially he attended a "test run" with Mr Jacobson.

 

Mr Pall said the older model told him that "you don't have to do anything you don't want to do" but suggested that "the further you go, the better", and alluded to career opportunities. When he arrived at the event, he said he felt under pressure to "perform". "How was I going to leave? I didn't have a car," he said. "I had a chaperone sitting and watching me."

 

Mr Pall said one of the other men recruited for the event performed oral sex on him as Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith watched. He said the couple then encouraged him to come over to the bed and kiss Mr Jeffries. Later, two other men recruited for the event had sex with the A&F boss and his partner, he added. At one point, Mr Pall said Mr Jeffries was behind him, groping him.

 

"This experience, I think it broke me," he said. "I think that this stole any ounce of innocence that I had left. It mentally messed me up. But with the language I now have today, I can sit here and tell you that I was taken advantage of."

 

The largest event described to the BBC was hosted in a private villa at a five-star hotel in 2011, for which dozens of men were flown to Marrakesh. The BBC understands Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith had also invited friends. Alex - who asked for his name to be changed to protect his identity - said he was a struggling model supporting his family back home when he was recruited as a dancer for the event, where he expected he would have to strip.

 

Mr Jeffries "took advantage of people in a very vulnerable point in their life, especially when they're around these big cities, coming from small America," Alex said. The former CEO was the "kingpin", he said. "If it wasn't for him none of this would have existed."

 

Alex, a straight man then in his 20s, said he was auditioned by Mr Jacobson, who praised his dancing but demanded he "finish the job" by performing oral sex on him. "I had debt, I wanted to support my family," said Alex. "I performed the job and I was, like, disgusted."

 

Thinking "the hardest part was out of the way", Alex flew to Marrakesh for the event a few weeks later. But moments into his dance, he said, Mr Jeffries tried to kiss him. "I was trying to be in it without offending him. I was extremely uncomfortable," Alex said.

 

Eventually, he said he went to hide in a back room where he fell asleep. Alex said he woke up with a condom inside him and feared that the champagne he had been given earlier had been spiked.

 

"When I put things together, I believe there is a very good possibility I was drugged and raped. I'll probably never, never know for sure the answer of what happened," he said.

 

Some of the men, including Alex and Mr Bradberry, said they attended more than one event, having been convinced by Mr Jacobson that the next time would be easier or hoping they would eventually be offered modelling work so "it all meant something".

 

These events "directly affected my self-esteem", said Mr Bradberry. "My twenties were filled with anguish and struggle, anxiety, depression." But he said he now lives a quieter life, "full of hope".

 

Brad Edwards, a civil lawyer who examined the BBC's evidence, said US prosecutors should investigate whether what these "brave men" describe could be sex trafficking.

 

Mr Edwards said: "There may have been evidence of coercion for some of the men, whereas others might not have felt the coercive tactics.

 

"Remember, coercion is the reasonable belief that serious harm will be inflicted - and serious harm could be reputational harm, financial harm, physical harm."

 

Mr Edwards also said Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith might argue the men were consenting adults and the fact that some had engaged in commercial sex in the past was "a factor", although he said past actions were "really irrelevant" to whether a particular commercial sex act was due to force, fraud or coercion.

 

He said there was a "very high" burden of proof for prosecutors, however.

 

"Given the stories of these brave men that have come forward, I think it's very important that federal prosecutors look into this case," he said.

 

Elizabeth Geddes, who was a federal prosecutor for more than 15 years and also reviewed our findings, said: "There's certainly an argument that these young men were subjected to potential coercion. I think there are grounds for a prosecutor to open an investigation and look closely at this conduct to determine if a criminal prosecution is warranted."

 

Mr Jacobson - the middleman, now aged 70 - said in a statement through his lawyer that he took offence at the suggestion of "any coercive, deceptive or forceful behaviour on my part" and had "no knowledge of any such conduct by others".

 

He said he did not recall making promises of modelling opportunities. "Any encounter I had was fully consensual, not coercive," he said. "Everyone I came into contact with who attended these events went in with their eyes wide open."

 

The BBC made repeated attempts by letter, email and phone, over several weeks, to contact Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith, inviting them to respond to a detailed list of allegations to ensure they were fully aware of the claims against them. They have not responded.

 

A&F, which has said it considers Mr Jeffries its modern-day founder, told the BBC it was "appalled and disgusted" by his alleged behaviour. It said new leadership has transformed the company into "the values-driven organisation we are today" and it has "zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind".

 

You can follow Rianna on X, formerly Twitter

REMEMBERING 05/30/2014: Why Abercrombie's Smell Makes You Anxious. How Stores Use Scents To Manipulate You Into Spending More Money.

Kim.Bhasin@huffingtonpost.com

Why Abercrombie's Smell Makes You Anxious

Posted: 05/30/2014 7:43 am EDT Updated: 05/30/2014 / http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/abercrombie-cologne_n_5412020.html

The cologne stench is less powerful at Abercrombie & Fitch than it used to be, but the stores still kind of stink. This may be making customers anxious.

The struggling retailer, notorious for spritzing its Abercrombie and Hollister stores with its Fierce and Socal cologne brands, said last week that it would ease back on the scents at both chains by 25 percent.

Yet simply toning down the stores' signature odor may not be enough to keep customers interested, said Bianca Grohmann, a professor at Concordia University who recently published a study on how store scents affect human anxiety. Grohmann said that Abercrombie may want to switch up the scents it uses, rather than press on with the same cologne smell at a reduced level.

"One option, instead of rethinking the intensity, is rethinking what scent you use," Grohmann told The Huffington Post. "A scent reminiscent of wide open spaces could help reduce anxiety for a lot of people."

Abercrombie did not respond to a request for comment.

On Thursday, Abercrombie said it had lost $23.7 million over the past three months. The company has been struggling with declining sales for at least a year as fashion trends turn away from its logoed apparel.

In an attempt to lure back customers, Abercrombie is revamping both its namesake chain and the stores of its sister brand Hollister. The music at both will be played at half the volume it is now. Hollister stores are becoming more brightly lit, and the blinds are coming off the front of Abercrombie's stores, to be replaced with mannequin displays. And of course, the shops are getting less smelly.

Grohmann and her team at Concordia's John Molson School of Business recently studied the effect of scent on shoppers. They found that certain odors can be used to curb shoppers' anxiety, while others just make them more nervous.

Until now, Abercrombie's characteristic odors have been part of an already claustrophobic environment that closes the walls around shoppers as they search for preppy polos and graphic tees. According to former employees at Abercrombie and Hollister, associates would have to refresh the cologne scent by spritzing the merchandise throughout the day.

"If you perceive some level of anxiety, you start to feel uncomfortable in the retail environment," said Grohmann. "You don't really want to stick around, you don't want to spend time in the store and you don't want to look at merchandise."

Concordia researchers tested three groups of people in a simulated retail store. One group was exposed to smells suggestive of enclosed spaces, like firewood and buttered popcorn, while another group was given scents meant to evoke open spaces, like green apple and "seashore." The third group was not exposed to any special odors. Shoppers looked at the wares, then had their anxiety levels assessed.

Researchers found that in shops filled with people and merchandise, shoppers felt most relaxed with a scent reminiscent of spaciousness. In near-empty shops, shoppers felt calmer with a scent related to closed spaces.

By contrast, shoppers were most uneasy in an open space while smelling an odor that suggested spaciousness. This means Apple's minimalist stores, as well as roomy upscale fashion stops like Prada and Louis Vuitton, shouldn't flood their spaces with refreshing outdoor smells like coconut and cucumber, the study recommends.

The colognes that Abercrombie pumps through its ventilation systems are of a musky, masculine character, which suggests closed spaces. Grohmann's research suggests that such odors, when used in relatively cramped stores like Abercrombie's, would make shoppers feel anxious and enclosed.

And indeed, plenty of customers have taken to review sites like Yelp to complain of being smothered inside Abercrombie stores. "The space they have will definitely make you claustrophobic," one customer wrote of an Abercrombie in Manhattan. Another shopper in Michigan wrote, presciently: "You would think that with all the negative feedback about Abercrombie's scent pumping on the internet they would pick up on this and dial it down."

In 2010, shoppers were so distressed by Abercrombie's cologne cloud that they staged a protest, claiming Abercrombie was filling the air in its stores with toxic chemicals, a claim the company refuted.

How Stores Use Scents To Manipulate You Into Spending More Money

HAYLEY PETERSON

 MAY 21, 2014, 2:23 PM / http://www.businessinsider.com/how-stores-lure-customers-with-scents-2014-5

The mouth-watering cinnamon scent that lingers outside most Cinnabon stores is no accident.

Cinnabon strategically places ovens near the front of its stores so the smell of baking cinnamon rolls wafts outside the door, according to Sarah Nassauer at the Wall Street Journal.

If there are no buns in the oven, some store operators warm baking sheets of cinnamon and brown sugar to strengthen the aromas.

"Aroma is who we are," Bill Gellert, president of Gellfam Management Corp., a restaurant franchisee that owns several Cinnabon restaurants, told WSJ. "It is our greatest asset."

Cinnabon isn't the only brand that uses scent to drive customer traffic.

Abercrombie & Fitch is well known for the musky scent of its stores. The scent is that of Abercrombie's signature cologne, Fierce, which generates more than $80 million annually, according to Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries. Employees regularly spray it into the air at Abercrombie stores to keep the scent fresh.

Panera Bread is also experimenting with scent, according to the Journal's report. The restaurant chain is in the process of changing its baking hours from nighttime to daytime so the smells of baked goods are strongest while customers are there.

Meanwhile, the New York-based supermarket chain Net Cost is pumping artificial food smells into its stores. The chain has scent machines that pump out aromas of milk chocolate, fresh-baked bread, and other scents, according to CBS News.

Other retailers, like American Apparel, are against strong scents in their stores. An American Apparel executive told WSJ that the chain deliberately omits scents from its stores because they could distract customers from the clothing and other elements of visual marketing.

The cosmetics store Lush, which sells a variety of soaps and perfumes, goes even further. The company uses an exhaust system to help remove scent from its stores.

"We don't want it to overwhelm the customers," a spokeswoman told WSJ.

National Trust defends right to campaign on nature amid ‘pressure’ from lobby group

 

National Trust defends right to campaign on nature amid ‘pressure’ from lobby group

 

Restore Trust wants its members elected to the charity’s governing council to rid it of its ‘woke agenda’

 

Ben Quinn, Political correspondent and Helena Horton

Mon 2 Oct 2023 16.29 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/02/national-trust-defends-right-to-campaign-on-nature-amid-pressure-from-lobby-group

 

The National Trust has raised concerns about “political pressure” and defended its right to lobby on nature amid a renewed campaign by a self-styled “anti-woke” group seeking to recruit Conservative MPs to its cause.

 

The leadership of the UK’s largest charity is facing a fresh challenge at its annual meeting next month from the right-leaning Restore Trust group, whose candidates tried but failed to win seats on the National Trust’s 36-strong governing council last year.

 

The Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg and the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage have shared social media attack adverts this year linked to the Restore Trust campaign.

 

A veteran Tory party activist, who ran campaigns for Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, has also sent out invitations to join a WhatsApp group set up for MPs and peers.

 

Restore Trust opposes what it describes as a “woke” agenda – including National Trust displays about slavery and historical figures – and has said it wants to steer the charity “back to its core purpose of looking after our heritage and countryside”. It has endorsed five candidates who are standing for election to its council.

 

Most prominent among the Restore Trust-backed candidates is the former supreme court judge Jonathan Sumption.

 

As members of the charity prepare to cast their votes in the governing council election, the National Trust spoke of its concern about the role of paid Restore Trust adverts on Facebook and their dissemination by political figures on social media.

 

“Our governance depends on independent citizens who are free from political influence, acting collectively in the best interests of this charity,” a spokesperson said. “Any political campaign to influence the governance of an independent charity would be concerning, and we are not the only charity coming under political pressure.

 

“We are aware of [Restore Trust’s] attempts to organise support among MPs. We trust our members will make up their own minds, and vote in the best long-term interests of the National Trust and the nations we serve.”

 

At an event at the Conservative party conference this week, the National Trust’s director general, Hilary McGrady, also defended its right to oppose policies, such as the government’s plans to scrap pollution rules for housebuilders, that would harm nature.

 

McGrady herself has faced personal attacks online for her defence of nature. “I’ve got very thick skin these days,” she told the Guardian, adding: “But to be really clear, the National Trust was founded to actually look after green space.”

 

She said: “All the way through our 128 years we have very consistently campaigned for the protection of the countryside as well as our houses and of course we don’t really see a distinction because our houses sit on our landscapes.”

 

In the run-up to the trust’s next AGM, political figures have received emails from Andrew Kennedy, a former Conservative campaigner for Truss, Johnson and others, inviting them to sign up to briefings and join a Restore Trust WhatsApp group so social media graphics can be shared.

 

“There are over 5 million National Trust members eligible to vote: the challenge is identifying and sharing the message,” he wrote in an email. “The support of respected and influential individuals to help share out message will be key to our success.”

 

In a post on Facebook where he invited councillors to join, Kennedy said he was working with Restore Trust, which he said was led by a group of longstanding National Trust members “who are concerned that the NT has abandoned its original remit and is now, like much of the charitable and third sector, pursuing a politically motivated ‘revisionist’ agenda”.

 

The National Trust AGM takes place on 11 November in Swindon. While the charity continues to find itself in the eye of a “culture war”, polling last week by the thinktank More in Common found that public confidence in the charity rose in the past year.

 

More than 70% of 2,000 adults polled said they trusted the National Trust, up seven points on last year. The same number regarded the organisation as a force for good, ahead of schools, the military and other sectors.

 

Attempts were made to contact Restore Trust and Kennedy for comment.

Hunters chase stag on quad bikes despite ban

National Trust marks 125 years since first historic house purchase // VIDEO: A huge thank you from National Trust

National Trust marks 125 years since first historic house purchase

UK NewsPublished: 10 hours ago

The Trust bought Alfriston Clergy House in East Sussex for just £10 in 1896.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2021/04/16/national-trust-marks-125-years-since-first-historic-house-purchase/

 

The National Trust has marked 125 years since it bought its first historic house to save for the nation – for just £10.

 

The then newly-formed “National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty” bought 14th century Alfriston Clergy House in East Sussex in 1896 for £10 and spent a further £400 on repairs.

 

This purchase and restoration paved the way for the fledgling Trust, which now cares for more than 500 historic houses, castles, parks, and gardens and more than one million works of art.

 

The house originally captivated Octavia Hill, one of the founders of the Trust, who wrote that she was moved by “the pleading voice of the old building itself… to be left to tell its story to the days that are to come”.

 

Holly Jones, National Trust operations manager for Alfriston Clergy House, said: “Today, 125 years later, the atmosphere when you stand beneath these beams is palpable.

 

“It has the same power to move and inspire, as it did with Octavia Hill years ago. Our founder knew she had to rescue it and open it to the public. We’re proud to continue her vision in caring for this fine house.

 

“We want Alfriston Clergy House to be loved, explored and enjoyed by as many people as possible. We can’t wait for lockdown to end and to open our doors once again.”

 

The house was at risk of collapse when the National Trust purchased it. It is a type of vernacular building known as a Wealden Hall House and dendrochronology (tree ring) testing in recent years has dated the house to 1399-1407.

 

National Trust curator George Roberts said: “The experience of conserving and finding a use for the clergy house played an important role in the development of the newly-formed, little-known National Trust.

 

“Had its efforts to purchase and restore the house failed, the Trust may never have acquired another building.”

 

Mr Roberts added: “While Alfriston Clergy House may seem small, in its day the architecture would have been incredibly grand. The timbers and crown post in the hall are truly remarkable. Beautiful natural and historic places matter.

 

“Our role is to care for them and ensure they look and feel amazing forever, so that they provide the most benefit to the most people.”

 

The house was home to Alfriston’s parish priest until the early 18th century, and remained in church ownership until it was sold to the National Trust in 1896.

 

The building underwent several alterations to modernise it as styles and tastes changed. After the Reformation, when clergy were permitted to marry, work took place to enlarge the house to accommodate more people.

 

Church records show that the vicar Hugh Walker, appointed in 1593, had at least seven children living in the house with him and his wife.

 

By the 18th century, the Clergy House had been subdivided into two cottages. It was still officially the vicarage until the 1850s, when a new house was purchased for the vicar to live in.

 

The house later attracted figures in the art world, including Arts and Craft architect and designer Charles Ashbee, who honeymooned there with wife Janet in 1898.

 

The house’s links to the art world continued when it was taken on by Charles Aitken, director of the Tate Gallery in London, and Sir Robert Witt, a well-known art collector and one of the founders of the Courtauld Institute in London.

 

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and independent National Trust for Scotland.

 

The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the Nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest". It was given statutory powers, starting with the National Trust Act 1907. Historically, the Trust acquired land by gift and sometimes by public subscription and appeal, but after World War II the loss of country houses resulted in many such properties being acquired either by gift from the former owners, or through the National Land Fund. Country houses and estates still make up a significant part of its holdings, but it is also known for its protection of wild landscapes such as in the Lake District and Peak District. As well as the great estates of titled families, it has acquired smaller houses including some whose significance is not architectural but through their association with famous people, for example the childhood homes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

 

One of the largest landowners in the United Kingdom, the Trust owns over 248,000 hectares (610,000 acres; 2,480 km2; 960 sq mi) of land and 780 miles of coast. Its properties include over 500 historic houses, castles, archaeological and industrial monuments, gardens, parks and nature reserves. Most properties are open to the public for a charge (members have free entry), while open spaces are free to all. The Trust has an annual income of over £630 million, largely from membership subscriptions, donations and legacies, investments, entrance fees to properties, and profits from its shops and restaurants. It also receives grants from a variety of organisations including other charities, government departments, local authorities and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 

The Trust was incorporated on 12 January 1895. The founders were social reformer Octavia Hill, solicitor Sir Robert Hunter and clergyman Hardwicke Rawnsley.

 

In 1876, Hill, together with her sister Miranda Hill had set up a society to "diffuse a love of beautiful things among our poor brethren". Named after John Kyrle, the Kyrle Society campaigned for open spaces for the recreational use of urban dwellers, as well as having decorative, musical and literary branches. Hunter had been solicitor to the Commons Preservation Society, while Rawnsley had campaigned for the protection of the Lake District. The idea of a company with the power to acquire and hold buildings and land had been mooted by Hunter in 1894.:1–23

 

In July 1894 a provisional council, headed by Hill, Hunter, Rawnsley and the Duke of Westminster met at Grosvenor House and decided that the company should be named the National Trust for places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. Articles of association were submitted to the Board of Trade and on 12 January 1895 the Trust was registered under the Companies Act. Its purpose was to "promote the permanent preservation for the benefit of the Nation of lands and tenements (including buildings) of beauty or historic interest".:24-25

 

Early years

 

Wicken Fen

The Trust acquired its first property in early 1895. Dinas Oleu, a piece of land on the cliff top above Barmouth in Wales, was donated by Fanny Talbot, a friend of Rawnsley. The Trust's first building was acquired the following year. Alfriston Clergy House was a fourteenth-century house in the Sussex village of Alfriston. It was bought for £10 and required a further £350 for repairs.:27

 

In 1907 Hunter drafted the first National Trust Act, which was passed by Parliament and gave the Trust the power to declare its land inalienable, meaning that it could not be sold without parliamentary approval. In addition the Act enabled the Trust to make by-laws.:30-31 Further Acts would follow in 1919, 1937, 1939, 1953, and 1971.

 

In the early days the Trust was concerned primarily with the acquisition (by gift or purchase) of open spaces and a variety of threatened buildings. The buildings were generally of a modest size, an exception being Barrington Court in Somerset, the Trust's first large country house.:34-36 Two of the sites acquired by the Trust in its early years later became nature reserves: Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire and Blakeney Point in Norfolk, both purchased with the help of a donation by naturalist and banker Charles Rothschild.:36-37 White Barrow on Salisbury Plain was the Trust's first archaeological monument, purchased in 1909 for £60.

 

By 1914 the Trust, operating out of a small office in London, had 725 members and had acquired sixty-three properties, covering 5814 acres.:40

"The National Trust Centenary" with Antony Hopkins (1993 Documentary) - ...

About the National Trust

The founders of the National Trust believed that everyone needs nature, beauty and history, so they set up the Trust to look after the nation’s coastline, historic sites, countryside and green spaces.

With 5.37 million members, over 50,000 volunteers and 10,000 staff, the National Trust is now the biggest conservation charity in Europe, caring for over 250,000 hectares of farmland, over 780 miles of coastline, and 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves, for everyone, for ever.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/about-us/the-history-of-the-national-trust#cb-37411954-0

 

1800s

Foundation and firsts

1884

The idea of the National Trust is born 

 

The idea of the National Trust is born when Octavia Hill, one of the founders, is asked to help preserve Sayes Court garden in South East London.

 

1895

The National Trust is founded  

 

Within a few weeks of the National Trust being registered under the Companies Act, it is given its first place: five acres of clifftop at Dinas Oleu in Wales.

 

1896

First building bought   

 

The National Trust purchases Alfriston Clergy House in East Sussex for £10 (about £600 in today's money).

 

1899

First nature reserve  

 

The Trust acquires its first nature reserve with the purchase of two acres of Wicken Fen, near Cambridge.

 

1900–1923

Appeals and acts

1900

Kanturk Castle

 

The Trust’s commitment to great buildings is confirmed with the gift of Kanturk Castle, in what will become the Republic of Ireland. Kanturk now belongs to An Taisce: The National Trust for Ireland.

 

1902

Appeal launched to buy Brandelhow  

 

The Trust launches a nationwide campaign to raise funds for the purchase of Brandelhow on Derwentwater. Many contribute to the appeal, including the daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Louise, and factory workers in the Midlands.

 

1907

The National Trust Act 

 

The National Trust Act of 1907 is drafted by Sir Robert Hunter, one of the Trust's co-founders, to give the Trust the status of a statutory corporation. In the same year, the Trust acquires Barrington Court, a 16th-century country house in Somerset.

 

1912

Blakeney Point  

 

Blakeney Point in Norfolk is acquired for its value as a coastal nature reserve. It's a great place to spot wildlife, including terns and seals.

 

1923

Great Gable  

 

Great Gable, a peak in the Lake District, is presented to the National Trust by the Fell and Rock Climbing Club as a memorial to members who were killed in the Great War.

 

In the same year, historian GM Trevelyan uses his friendship with the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, and the author John Buchan, to gain support and boost falling membership numbers.

 

1925–1948

Support and collaboration

1925

The press supports our cause  

 

Under the chairmanship of critic and journalist John Bailey, the Trust receives more sympathetic coverage from the press than at any time in its history, before or since. On 25 October, a letter in The Times, appealing for funds for Ashridge in Hertfordshire, is signed by Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay MacDonald and Herbert Asquith.

 

1927 

Farmland around Stonehenge is bought  

 

Over 1,400 acres of farmland around Stonehenge is bought following a national appeal.

 

1929

Beatrix Potter lends her support  

 

Beatrix Potter uses the income from her children's books to support the Trust's work in the Lake District. As a result, Monk Coniston Estate, near Coniston Water, is acquired.

 

1931

The National Trust for Scotland is established

 

The National Trust for Scotland has similar statutory powers to the National Trust, but with an entirely independent constitution.

 

1934

Village first 

 

West Wycombe becomes the first village to come under National Trust protection.

 

1937

The National Trust Act  

 

The Marquis of Lothian proposes that the National Trust should be able to accept the gift of country houses, with endowments in land or capital, which would be free of tax. These new powers are provided in the National Trust Act of 1937.

 

1939

Quarry Bank Mill  

 

Following the gift of Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate in Cheshire, the Trust gets involved with sites of major importance for their industrial archaeology.

 

In the same year, Lord Lothian bequeaths the Trust his Jacobean house, Blickling in Norfolk.

 

1945

50th birthday

 

The Trust celebrates its 50th year. By this point, it manages 112,000 acres of land and 93 historic buildings, as well as having 7,850 members.

 

1946 

The National Land Fund is established  

 

The National Land Fund is established by Dr Hugh Dalton, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as a memorial to those killed in the Second World War. Many great country houses are subsequently transferred to the National Trust with assistance from this fund, beginning with Cotehele in Cornwall.

 

1948

Post-war collaboration  

 

The National Trust joins forces with the Royal Horticultural Society to launch the Gardens Scheme, which is designed to encourage and fund the acquisition of outstanding gardens.

 

In the same year, Hidcote in Gloucestershire is gifted to the Trust by Major Lawrence Johnston.

 

1965–1995

Souvenirs and celebrations

1965

Launch of the Neptune Campaign  

 

The Neptune Campaign is launched with the aim of acquiring unspoilt coastline that might be at risk. In 2022, the Trust cares for over 775 miles of coast all around the UK.

 

1968

The Benson Report

 

The Benson Report recommends that much of the Trust's administration be devolved to regions. Following this and other recommendations, the Trust experiences a decade of unprecedented growth.

 

1970

75th anniversary  

 

As the Trust celebrates its 75th year, membership to the charity stands at more than 226,000. The Trust begins to sell items such as tea towels, leading to the formation of National Trust Enterprises.

 

1975

A membership milestone  

 

The National Trust reaches 500,000 members.

 

1981

The big one million  

 

Another milestone is reached as members total one million.

 

1986

Sutton House is more than a home  

 

The Trust reverses a decision to turn Sutton House, owned since 1936, into flats and devote it to cultural and educational uses for the benefit of the community in Hackney.

 

1990

Two million members 

 

The National Trust hits the two million members mark; that's more than the combined membership of all the political parties.

 

Meanwhile, the Snowdonia Appeal is launched by Sir Anthony Hopkins. The Lake District Appeal, begun three years earlier, reaches its target of £2 million.

 

1994

Moving with the times  

 

The Trust acquires 2 Willow Road in Hampstead, a modern-movement house designed by Erno Goldfinger in 1938.

 

1995

Centenary celebrations 

 

The Trust celebrates its centenary with a service in St Paul's Cathedral. In its first 100 years, the National Trust became the guardian of 580,000 acres of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 545 miles of coastline; 230 historic houses and 130 important gardens.

 

2000–2009

Major reviews and milestones

2000

The start of something new

 

The National Trust embarks on another major structural review, with the aim of working more effectively with other conservation bodies and improving internal processes.

 

2001

Farming Forward

 

The Farming Forward initiative is launched, at the time of the foot and mouth crisis, reaffirming the Trust's commitment to preserving both natural beauty and a viable economy in rural areas.

 

2002

Money well spent 

 

The Victorian country house Tyntesfield, near Bristol, is put up for sale. Within 100 days, the Trust raises £3 million from over 50,000 individual donors and secures a grant of £17.5 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

 

2003

Arts and Crafts

 

The National Trust purchases Red House in Bexleyheath. The house was once owned by the Arts and Crafts designer William Morris, who was a friend and supporter of Octavia Hill.  

 

2005

A new home  

 

The Trust moves to a new central office in Heelis, Swindon, bringing staff from four central offices under one roof for the first time. A small office in London remains.

 

2007

Membership keeps on growing

 

Membership figures hit the 3.5 million mark.

 

2008

Volunteering milestone 

 

The total number of volunteers working for the Trust, donating what Octavia Hill called gifts of time, exceeds 50,000.

 

2009

Seaton Delaval saved for the nation 

 

Following a massive appeal that raises over £3 million from thousands of people, charitable trusts and companies across the country, Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland is saved for the nation.

 

2011–2019

Restoration and new leadership

2011

Another membership milestone

 

National Trust membership reaches four million.

 

2012

Leasing Tredegar House  

 

The Trust takes over the care of Tredegar House, the 17th-century ancestral home of the Morgan family, and embarks on a series of extensive projects to conserve the building.

 

2015

A devastating fire 

 

On 29 April, a fire, caused by an electrical fault, rips through Clandon Park in Surrey. The Trust manages to save over 400 items from the collection and, following a 14-month salvage operation, is now working on rebuilding the house.

 

10-year strategy launched  

 

The Trust launches a 10-year strategy, ‘Playing our Part’, to meet the needs of the 21st century. It includes a pledge to reduce energy use by 15% and source 50% of energy from renewables by 2020/21.

 

2017

White Cliffs saved  

 

Thanks to generous donations, £1 million is raised, allowing the Trust to secure 700,000 square metres of land just behind the White Cliffs of Dover, thus preserving their future.

 

A gigantic leap  

 

The Trust reaches another milestone with membership jumping from four million to five million in just six years.

 

2018

A new Director General  

 

Hilary McGrady takes over from Dame Helen Ghosh as Director-General of the National Trust.

 

2020–present

Covid-19 and moving forward

2020

Anniversary celebrations  

 

The Trust plans to celebrate its 125th anniversary with a Buckingham Palace Garden Party and events across the nations. But the coronavirus pandemic arrives and instead, for the first time in its history, the Trust is forced to close.

 

2021–22

Welcoming visitors once again

 

The Trust learns to respond to fast-changing local conditions and is forced to make savings. But once fully reopened, Trust membership grows quickly. People have missed their places.