National Trust Membership prices and a visit to Sutton Hoo

Viennese said:
What a load of skinflints! The National Trust is a charity - it needs money to look after all its buildings and land- it does terrific work. I can't believe people are moaning about the cost of a year's membership which is less than a nice meal out, a tankful of diesel or a couple of nights in a decent campsite...
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I never moaned about the membership costs..
I moaned about having to pay membership costs just to give them our custom in the tea room.. but after that experience I won't be joining.. as said, it was almost empty, they must be very rich if they can afford to turn paying customers away :mad:
 
Viennese said:
What a load of skinflints! The National Trust is a charity - it needs money to look after all its buildings and land- it does terrific work. I can't believe people are moaning about the cost of a year's membership which is less than a nice meal out, a tankful of diesel or a couple of nights in a decent campsite... or even attendance at a motorhome show! If you don't want to pay don't join, but don't moan about it being unfair!
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I agree.

National trust does wonderful work in preserving not only old buildings, also miles of coast and countryside. Personally I would support them even if I never went to any of their properties.

As it happens we go to the Long Mynd in Shropshire many times per year. This is NT with an NT car park. If I was not a member the cost of the car park there alone would almost cover the annual subs.

If you are over 65 you get a substantial discount but only if you have been a full price member for at least 5 years. As a charity to me this seems reasonable.
 
As Alan Bennett said.. and I agree

Our country is becoming "less and less … a nation and more and more just a captive market to be exploited".
 
I for one object to being called a skinflint! Nobody is denying the National Trust do wonderful work in preserving the nation's heritage for all to enjoy at reasonable cost. Their membership numbers continue to increase year on year and the last figures I can find show their membership income amounted to £120m some 4 years ago. What I can't justify is spending £95.50 from a single household income when we don't have the time to visit with many other commitments on our time. If I wish to continue paying just as a charitable donation I'm afraid there are more deserving causes, Macmillan being foremost amongst them.
 
motorhomer said:
If you are over 65 you get a substantial discount but only if you have been a full price member for at least 5 years. As a charity to me this seems reasonable.
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but only if you ask for it. To me it should be automatic. It can't be hard for someone to enter this information into their computer system so that at renewal time the letter reads something like...''as you've been a member for 5 years you are now entitled to the discounted membership fee of....''

The discounted rate is not even advertised in any of their literature, it's as if they don't actually want you to know about it.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
paulmold said:
but only if you ask for it. To me it should be automatic. It can't be hard for someone to enter this information into their computer system so that at renewal time the letter reads something like...''as you've been a member for 5 years you are now entitled to the discounted membership fee of....''

The discounted rate is not even advertised in any of their literature, it's as if they don't actually want you to know about it.
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They don't, we have been members for years but its only a couple of years ago we found out about the reduced fee, we now pay £63.50 for joint membership
 
We have both joined last year and been to some great sites already.

Its a shame about the dog situation, they can't go into any of the buildings, I can understand the lived in, furnished places, but we have been to empty castles/ruins etc and they still can't go in.

Paul.
 
Age discount? Well it was certainly somewhere in the envelope they sent with our renewal - since that's how we found out about it !
 
Stewart J said:
Members of the Scottish NT pay a pittance of £4.05p per month by direct debit hardly use it but they do good work so put it down to a charitable donation. Also some trust properties are considering MH overnight stays so worth staying a member.
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That's more expensive than NT by direct debit!

Bailey58 said:
I for one object to being called a skinflint! Nobody is denying the National Trust do wonderful work in preserving the nation's heritage for all to enjoy at reasonable cost. Their membership numbers continue to increase year on year and the last figures I can find show their membership income amounted to £120m some 4 years ago. What I can't justify is spending £95.50 from a single household income when we don't have the time to visit with many other commitments on our time. If I wish to continue paying just as a charitable donation I'm afraid there are more deserving causes, Macmillan being foremost amongst them.
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Objection duly noted... direct debit for a joint membership is £71.62 not £95.50! If you can't justify it, that's fine. Being a single person I never had the chance of a joint (cheaper) membership for the many years I subscribed before I became an old person - how unfair was that, discriminating against someone (un)fortunate enough to be living alone!?!?! :crying:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Viennese said:
Objection duly noted... direct debit for a joint membership is £71.62 not £95.50! If you can't justify it, that's fine. Being a single person I never had the chance of a joint (cheaper) membership for the many years I subscribed before I became an old person - how unfair was that, discriminating against someone (un)fortunate enough to be living alone!?!?! :crying:
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Read their website again, the price you're quoting is an an introductory offer to new members for the first year only with 3 months free. Not available to existing members.
 
OK, I give in as I'm losing the will to live...
 
Ok, I give in as I'm losing the will to live!
 
Personally I wouldn't give the National Trust a penny. I fully accept that the work that they do preserving historical buildings is admirable but, like many left controlled quangos, I would like to know how much of their budget is spent furthering the political agendas of their executive.
 
NickNic said:
Personally I wouldn't give the National Trust a penny. I fully accept that the work that they do preserving historical buildings is admirable but, like many left controlled quangos, I would like to know how much of their budget is spent furthering the political agendas of their executive.
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Is there some evidence for this?

In many years of membership I have not noticed any left wing tendency or political agendas. In fact I would have thought that preserving country mansions was definitely right of centre!
 
I think we spend around £100 a year for a family membership. I try to ensure we get our money's worth by going on the 'free' member days. Stuff like 'Wimpole at War' etc. are very good and we save about £25-30 when visiting the farm, which isn't included normally.
Using them to park up our 'apartment' sounds appealing, especially if they run those buses with a bike trailer on the back for you to hop on/off.
Wonder if the Norfolk NT seaside carpark is usable again.
 
Just got a reply to my query regarding the price for senior membership for a couple. No longer 63.50, it's £72.50 this year.
 

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