How the National Trust Won Over Gen Z: TikTok, Influencers and a 26% Membership Surge

The National Trust has attracted a record number of young members by embracing viral social media trends, particularly on TikTok. More than 50,000 people aged 18 to 25 joined the charity last year — a 26% increase — driven in large part by engaging short-form content that showcases the Trust's landscapes, houses and gardens as backdrops for creative social posts.

Turning Heritage Into Shareable Moments

The Trust's own TikTok account now boasts nearly 200,000 followers and over four million likes. Clips encouraging viewers to "start history maxxing" or celebrating picturesque locations have struck a chord with Gen Z audiences. Popular posts have featured places such as Fountains Abbey (Yorkshire), Charlecote Park (Warwickshire), Stourhead (Wiltshire), Calke Abbey (Derbyshire), Attingham Park (Shropshire) and Knole Park (Sevenoaks).

Influencers, Staff Creators and a Small Social Team

Celia Richardson, the National Trust's director of communications and fundraising, says the organisation deliberately leaned into social trends after the pandemic. "There's a bit of a multiplier effect, where an influencer brings in more influencers," she told The Telegraph. The Trust operates a compact social team of four people but works widely with external influencers and internal creators — from rangers to collections staff — who produce authentic, high-engagement content.

"We've got a small social media team of four people but we also work with influencers all the time," — Celia Richardson.

Visitors and creators have posted viral clips and photos — for example, user @aishalovestotravel's images of Charlecote Park and @historicsitegirl's staircase video — which help turn National Trust sites into sought-after backdrops for social content and international attention, including from Gen Z audiences in the United States.

Membership Growth And New Revenue Rules

The charity's annual report records the 26% rise in young memberships between March 2025 and February 2026, following a previous record year when 40,200 young people joined. A young person's membership costs £4.20 a month (or £50.40 a year), around half the price of a standard adult membership.

To manage and monetise the surge in creator activity, the National Trust updated its charging policy earlier this year: visitors creating paid-for social content now face a fee of £360. This marks a change for the Trust, which has traditionally earned substantial income from film and TV shoots but is now formalising charges for influencer-produced commercial content.

What This Means For Heritage

René Olivieri, the Trust's chairman, welcomed the influx of young members as "good news for nature and good news for heritage." Staff creators such as Claudia Hayes — a 25-year-old collections and house officer who runs the History With Claudia accounts — say the trend shows genuine and growing interest among young people in history and heritage rather than a passing fad.

As heritage organisations adapt to new digital behaviours, the National Trust's experience suggests that authentic, well-managed social media engagement can both deepen public interest and create new funding streams without compromising conservation goals.

A post showcasing Fountains Abbey near Ripon in North Yorkshire - National Trust/TikTok

TikTok user @aishalovestotravel was smitten by the beauty of Charlecote Park in Warwickshire - @aishalovestotravel/TikTok

@aishalovestotravel/TikTok

A post from the National Trust account on TikTok

The attractions of beautiful properties such as Knole Park in Sevenoaks are being showcased by the Trust and a range of influencers - National Trust/TikTok

One video on TikTok gently pokes fun at typical British days in the country - National Trust/TikTok

National Trust/TikTok

National Trust/TikTok