Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust who has been a good friend to the British Asian community, has been awarded a CBE in the King’s New Year Honours “for services to heritage”.
She has been encouraging British Asians to visit its properties, especially those with Indian connections, and also apply for jobs with the trust or offer to become volunteers.
This year, the trust celebrated Diwali at seven of its properties.
McGrady has also urged Asian parents to take their children to trust properties, as well as museums and galleries, because many schools are no longer able to do this because of a lack of resources.
McGrady displayed remarkable courage in standing up to attacks from a section of the Conservative Party, when a trust report published in 2020 revealed that some 93 of its properties were built with money made during the colonial period in India or through the slave trade.
Many objects, quite a few looted during colonial times, are being relabelled with their true provenance.
Some right-wing Tory MPs, belonging to the “Common Sense Group”, even urged the Charity Commission to strip the trust of its charitable status.
McGrady even received a warning from Baroness (Tina) Stowell, chair of the Charity Commission, that the trust should not get involved in “culture wars”.
Stowell, herself a Tory politician, said “whoever is tempted to use charities as another front on which to wage broader political struggles should be careful”.
Despite receiving even death threats, McGrady stood firm against the campaign aimed against her and the trust for focusing on the history of its properties.
In recognition of her bravery, Eastern Eye’s Arts, Culture & Theatre Awards gave its community engagement prize to the trust in 2023 “for illuminating the history of empire”.
McGrady, who was born in Northern Ireland in 1966 and grew up during “the Troubles”, joined the trust in 2006 and rose to become its director-general in March 2018.
Responding to her CBE, McGrady told Eastern Eye: “Leading the National Trust is a privilege. This organisation has been woven into the fabric of our nations for well over a century, and to play a part in its rich history is very special.
“I’ve no doubt that the Trust has endured for so long because heritage, culture and nature are intrinsically important in people's lives - they always have been, and they always will be. We live in a time when many people don't have access to our cultural and natural heritage, and when some historic sites are struggling to keep the lights on, and our cause is as vital as ever.”
She added: “I’m so grateful to the thousands of staff, volunteers and supporters who make the National Trust what it is. I’m proud to be part of this organisation and this sector and I’m delighted to receive this award.”
Rene Olivieri, chairman of the trust – he got his CBE last year for “services to the charitable, heritage, and wildlife sectors” – commented: “We’re all delighted by this news. Hilary is an outstanding leader of our 130-year-old institution, whose relentless focus on bringing the most benefit to the most people through heritage and through nature has ensured the trust is thriving today. She has tackled some of the biggest challenges our charity has ever faced with tenacity and empathy and made sure the trust not only survived – but it flourished. “Generations to come will be able to share in the UK’s nature, beauty and history because of her hard work and ambition. She is richly deserving of this honour.”
Founded in 1895 by three people, including Octavia Hill, the trust now cares for “more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 890 miles of coastline, one million collection items and 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves.”
It said: “In 2024-2025, we received 26 million visitors to our pay for entry sites. The National Trust is for everyone – we were founded for the benefit of the whole nation, and our more than 5.3 million members, our funders and donors, and tens of thousands of volunteers support our work to care for nature, beauty, history for everyone, for ever.”
This year and in 2024, Diwali was celebrated at Kedleston Hall. McGrady visited the Diwali event this year at East Riddlesden Hall in Yorkshire.
McGrady set out her aims at a reception to mark the trust’s 130th birthday in June, 2024: “We’ll work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage.”
