National Trust BANS volunteer in 70s from every property for pointing out spelling mistakes on website
Andy Jones dedicated more than a decade to the organisation
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A 71-year-old volunteer has been permanently excluded from every National Trust property following a furious email in which he attacked the charity's Director-General for failing to acknowledge the website's extensive catalogue of spelling mistakes.
Andy Jones, who dedicated more than a decade to the organisation, compiled a dossier containing thousands of spelling mistakes and factual inaccuracies on the Trust's online pages. When Hilary McGrady, the Director-General who recently received a CBE for services to heritage, did not respond to his submissions, Jones sent a sharply worded message to his local branch.
The Trust informed him his remarks were "not in line with our organisational values" and his relationship with the charity had "irreversibly broken down," barring him from any future volunteering roles across all sites. Jones began volunteering with the National Trust 14 years ago, initially working at the Woolbeding estate in West Sussex before moving to Hindhead Commons and the Devil's Punch Bowl in the Surrey Hills.
His duties ranged from gardening and waste burning to assisting visitors and handling membership enquiries. Taking it upon himself to review the charity's online presence, he documented errors including misspellings such as "toliets" and "permanant," the grammatical blunder "take a peak", and the incorrect spelling of pre-Raphaelite painter Lucy Madox Brown's name.
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In November 2024, Jones emailed McGrady politely requesting she forward his findings to the appropriate department. Receiving no reply, he followed up in January 2025, writing: "I sincerely hope my work is helpful to the National Trust."
After continued silence, Jones resigned and sent a frustrated email referring to "the Oirish Dame" and her "crappy not fit for purpose" website. He acknowledged to The Telegraph his language was inappropriate, attributing his stress to a stage-two prostate cancer diagnosis.
Jones's case follows a similar incident earlier this year when more than a dozen volunteer gardeners at Mottistone Manor on the Isle of Wight were suspended indefinitely. Managers cited "instances of behaviour, language, or attitude" that failed to reflect the Trust's "inclusive culture", alhough no specific examples were provided.
Restore Trust, a pressure group representing members and supporters, accused the charity of "disciplining or sacking volunteers for their opinions". A spokesman for the group stated: "The National Trust talks a great deal about being inclusive and welcoming, but many volunteers feel excluded and unwelcome."
A spokesman for the Trust said it works with tens of thousands of volunteers and expressed gratitude for their contributions. It added it cannot discuss private individuals' details due to confidentiality obligations.
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