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Membership prices for the National Trust have surged by almost 25% over the past three years, with increases taking effect from 1 March. An annual adult membership that cost £76.80 in 2022

has now risen to £96.20, and a lifetime family membership has jumped from £2,865 to £3,025. Rupert Lowe, a Reform MP, criticised the price hikes in comments to the Telegraph : "Heritage

should be for everyone, not just for those who can afford the ever-rising fees used to fund the National Trust's nonsense diversity and inclusion efforts. Instead of squeezing their

loyal visitors at a time when everyone is tightening their belts, they should consider cutting their own bloat and invest in making British heritage accessible for everyone." In

response to the criticism, a spokesperson for the National Trust explained: "Operating costs have soared in recent years in the challenging external financial context. In our last

financial year, our operating costs grew by £53.2m." However, the spokesperson also pointed out that membership still "costs the same as buying one takeaway coffee a week",

reports Wales Online. National Trust members are spoilt for choice in Surrey and the surrounding counties with plenty of options to choose from to visit, including Polesden Lacey, Winkworth

Arboretum and Hatchlands Park, plus members get free car parking at a number of beauty spots including Box Hill and the Devil's punchbowl. The National Trust experienced a loss of

89,000 members between 2023 and 2024 amid various controversies reported by the Telegraph, including changing the term "ethnic minority" to "global majority", omitting

Christian holidays from its "inclusivity and wellbeing" calendar, and implementing a vegan overhaul of its cafes. A spokesman for the National Trust further stated: "We set

all our prices carefully, based on what it costs to carry out our conservation and other work." The National Trust, in collaboration with local forest experts, is embarking on a massive

tree-planting initiative across England this winter. The charity plans to plant nearly 416,000 trees by the end of March, creating 519 hectares (1,282 acres) of woody habitats, wood

pasture, hedgerows and orchards - an area equivalent to 800 football pitches. England's Community Forests, a network of 15 expert groups, is backing the project with £7.1 million from

its Trees for Climate programme, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This initiative forms part of broader efforts to combat climate change, enhance

nature and provide accessible woods to communities living in towns and cities. A total of 20 planting projects are underway on land primarily managed by the National Trust in counties such

as Devon, Gloucestershire and Yorkshire. The largest project is taking place in Lunt, Sefton, Merseyside, where nearly 93,000 trees are being planted across 78 hectares (192.7 acres). This

follows the National Trust's purchase of the land from the local council.