Latest Donations
February 2026
After an excellent talk by Jan and Jenni about exciting new developments at Shugborough Hall, we shall be donating the customary £250 to the National Trust property.
One of our fundamental aims as an association is to support local National Trust properties. To further this aim, we have recently donated £1000 to be allocated to Baddesley Clinton and Wightwick Manor. Our present season of lectures features two talks linked to Baddesley. The committee are very grateful to the membership for your continued support which makes these donations possible.
The following is the text of an e-mail from Ann Ryan, Property Operations Manager for Baddesley Clinton:
Dear Vivian,
I write to say a huge thank you for your kind donation in respect of the talk that was delivered. Your donation is most gratefully received and helps support the work we do to conserve and care for Baddesley Clinton and allow us to share with our members and visiting public. Your donation will go directly to helping with conservation of the Collection. We thank you for all your support and generosity and do please pass on our thanks to your members.
All best wishes, Ann Ryan
Although not a local property, Rowallane Garden in County Down was enjoyed by those who went on the WNTA holiday in 2025 so we are donating £500 to the N.T. site.
When we have a speaker from a National Trust property, we usually make a donation of £250 to that property. We help to raise money for local properties. Each season we look at how much we can donate and which properties should receive donations. They are often used for specific improvements such as the opening of a new gallery at Wightwick in 2017.
| Date | Property | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 27.03.25 | Hidcote Manor Gardens | £250 |
| 08.01.25 | Wightwick Manor | £250 |
| 28.11.24 | Moseley Old Hall | £250 |
In March, Lottie Allan, head gardener at Hidcote Manor, gave an informative and colourful talk. We therefore are donating £250 to Hidcote Gardens. (£200 + £50 travelling). In reply, Chris, N.T. General manager wrote;
“We are very grateful to receive your donation, and delighted to be able to tell you that the money will be put towards some new Rustic Oak Planters which we are having made for the Gardens Yard – the busy courtyard area which links the north and south sections of the garden. We are hoping these will be available soon and be able to be planted up for the summer season, so hope you and your members will be able to visit and enjoy them”.
After talks by Pat Bickford from Moseley Old Hall and Helen Bratt-Wyton from Wightwick Manor, we have donated £250 to each property
The following is an excerpt from a letter from Tracy Williams, General Manager – West Staffordshire
Dear Ms Fairbank
I wanted to pass on our thanks and appreciation for the continued support of the property by the Walsall Association. We are delighted to receive £250, which will go towards a conservation project within the house. I understand our Senior House and Collections Manager gave a talk to the Association so you will understand the importance and significance of the collection.
WNTA has received a donation of £200 from the estate of the late Alison Beardwood, who was a member for many years. After consulting with her family, we have decided that we would like to donate the money to Wightwick Manor, specifically for their pre-Raphaelite gallery. Alison had been a member of the pre-Raphaelite Society.
Below is an email with details of Wightwick’s plans for the donation
Thank you for thinking of Wightwick when planning which property should receive this kind donation. It was lovely to link the donation to Alison’s love of the Pre-Raphaelites. We would like to use the funds to conserve the frame of the wonderful drawing (right) which has become quite fragile and can no longer be on display at Wightwick. The drawing is of Effie Gray who as you may know was strongly associated with the Pre-Raphaelites and was married to both John Ruskin and John Millais.
Tracy Williams, General Manager
Andrea Thursby, Senior Collections and House Officer at Wightwick, has written the following in the Midland Supporters Group newsletter:
“Walsall NT Association have very generously given us donations this year that have enabled Wightwick Manor to purchase pots for the citrus plants, for our newly renovated Peach House, and also for the conservation and repair of the frame of our lovely picture of Effie Grey by GF Watts, which will enable us to get her back on display in the Drawing Room.”
This spreadsheet, sent by National Trust head office, provides a record of donations received from March 1st 2023, to February 2024
| Midlands – Walsall Association | |||
| Date | Property/Appeal | Purpose | Amount |
| 20/04/2023 | The Firs | Not Specified | £250.00 |
| 08/11/2023 | Shugborough Estate | Bulb Planting in new orchard | £250.00 |
| 08/11/2023 | Shugborough Estate | Bulb planting in new orchard | £500.00 |
| 08/11/2023 | Standen House and Garden * | Collections care conservation | £500.00 |
| 08/11/2023 | Kinver Edge | Apple Pressing kit | £500.00 |
| 08/11/2023 | Wightwick Manor | Pots for Citrus plants | £500.00 |
| 24/01/2024 | Wightwick Manor | Not Specified | £250.00 |
| Supporter Group Total | £2,750.00 | ||
- A donation of £500 was made to Standen House Although not a local property, the ‘arts and craft’ house was a great favourite of many when we visited it on the WNTA holiday
(See Holiday 23 page)
Donations from 2019 to 2022
| 2019 | |
| Birmingham Back to Backs | £500 |
| Hanbury Hall | £250 |
| Moseley Old Hall | £1000 |
| Upton House | £250 |
| Wightwick Manor | £500 |
| Total | £2500 |
| 2020 / 21 * | |
| Hughenden | £250 |
| Wightwick Manor | £500 |
| Total | £750 |
| 2022 | |
| Benthall Hall | £250 |
| Dudmaston Hall | £250 |
| Moseley Old Hall | £250 |
| Shropshire Hills | £250 |
| Total | £1000 |
| * Donatons in 2020 and 2021 were much reduced as no subscriptions were collected because of the Covid pandemic. |
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