Director of Restore Trust, campaign group putting pressure on National Trust, steps down from role

Zewditu Gebreyohanes, the director of Restore Trust—the pressure group that has been making headlines with its campaign to change the direction of the UK National Trust—is stepping down. The decision follows the trust’s annual general meeting (AGM), held over the weekend, in which the three councillors and two resolutions put forward by Restore Trust were rejected by members.Gebreyohanes, 24, said that she made the decision six months ago—with Restore Trust aware since that time—and that she “was going to step down after the AGM, irrespective of the result”. She explains that she is leaving to focus on her position as a senior researcher at the Legatum Institute, a right-wing think tank based in London. “The reason I decided not to step down earlier was because I did not wish to jeopardise our campaign in any way. I wish Restore Trust all the best and I hope it will continue to grow and make an impact. Needless to say I will still be taking a keen interest in what happens in the National Trust!”Restore Trust was founded in 2021 by Cornelia Van der Poll, a lecturer in Ancient Greek at the University of Oxford. The group has since campaigned against the trust’s move away from what it perceives to be the charity’s main “remit”—namely the protection of historic buildings—and towards what it describes as “modish, divisive ideologies”. Particular criticisms have included the way the trust has addressed the links some of its buildings have with histories of colonialism and slavery, its keen focus on climate-related issues, and rebranding of some of its historic buildings. In recent months, Restore Trust has received support from figures on the right of British politics, such as politicians Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg, and coverage in the The Telegraph newspaper, known for its conservative stance. Eyebrows have also been raised regarding those behind the scenes at Restore Trust. Neil Record, for example, a founder and board member of the organisation, is a supporter of the climate-sceptic Global Warming Policy Foundation, which operates out of London’s 55 Tufton Street, a home to several right-wing think tanks. The Legatum Group, meanwhile, which part-funds Gebreyohanes’s employer, is a major shareholder in right-wing broadcaster GB News.Gebreyohanes joined Restore Trust in May 2022, having previously worked at another right-wing think tank—Policy Exchange, where she headed up the History Matters policy unit. The History Matters project catalogued the pulling down of statues and renaming of buildings linked to slavery, referencing “concerns about the ways in which history is being politicised, and sometimes distorted.” Gebreyohanes also drew media attention when she was appointed by former prime minister Boris Johnson—through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)—as a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum at the end of last summer.At this year’s AGM, Restore Trust put forward five councillors for election to the National Trust’s council, all of whom were rejected. It also filed two resolutions—one relating to the the restoration of the 18th-century Palladian mansion Clandon Park, and the other to the trust’s “quick vote” system, which allows members to tick a box saying they approve of the National Trust’s recommendations. Both failed to pass. This was the second year running that the group had attempted to enact change via the AGM without success. As to whether Restore Trust will continue following the latest results, and her departure, Gebreyohanes could not confirm. “Who knows what might happen by next year? Perhaps the National Trust will see the light and think quick vote is not great, actually, and it’s not a way of upholding good governance. Or maybe Restore Trust will manage to mobilise far more members.”