National Trust volunteer 'blacklisted' after flagging spelling mistakes on charity's website

Andy Jones, 71, who had volunteered for the charity for 14 years, sent a dossier of thousands of spelling mistakes and factual errors to its director-general, Hilary McGrady, in November 2024.

The mistakes ranged from typos including “toliets”, “permanant”, and a misspelling of artist Lucy Madox Brown as Maddox Brown.

It also included a string of grammatical errors.

When Ms McGrady didn’t respond, he pinged off another follow-up email in January 2025, again to no avail.

He then sent a strongly worded complaint to his local branch before quitting in frustration.

He wrote: “Still no reply, acknowledgement, let alone thanks from the Oirish [sic] Dame on over 400 hours spent on her crappy not fit for purpose webs--te.”

Mr Jones was told the comments were “not in line with our organisational values” and was subsequently banned from volunteering for the organisation.

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“I was really disappointed by the language contained within your email. These comments are not in line with our organisational values,” a manager from the charity wrote.

She added that his relationship with the charity had “irreversibly broken down”.

“We will no longer consider you for any future volunteer positions at any of our places,” the manager told him.

Mr Jones said he made the comments under a period of stress as underwent treatment from stage-two prostate cancer, admitting his emails were inappropriate.

“I think the concept of the National Trust is a brilliant one, and it has achieved an astonishing amount in the 130 or so years it has been running.

“It’s simply that its senior management team are well past their ‘use by’ date and the organisation needs to be completely re-invented by a new, young, vibrant leadership that brings it kicking and screaming into the 21st century,” he told the Telegraph.

A National Trust spokesperson said: “We are always happy to explain our decisions to individuals when it comes to their conduct and the standards we expect but we can’t do this via a newspaper, regardless of what any individual shares or claims, because we have a legal duty of confidentiality.

“We can say that no-one would be told they were no longer welcome as a volunteer simply for pointing out grammatical errors on a website and this would not lead to relationship breakdown.

“Relationship breakdown tends to occur after a series of incidents”.

It comes after the trust was accused of indefinitely pausing the volunteering work of 13 gardeners at Maidstone Manor on the Isle of Wight after managers claimed they had used language and exhibited behaviours that did 'not reflect the respectful and inclusive culture' the trust aims to uphold.

But the volunteers argued the claims were made up and called for Ms Grady to investigate the matter.

A Trust spokesperson said at the time: "The National Trust works with tens of thousands of volunteers and we are deeply grateful for the enormous contribution they make. Occasionally there will be disputes and even breakdowns in relationships, and we provide all the support we can through agreed processes with the individuals concerned.

"We cannot address private individuals' details or records via a newspaper, regardless of what any individual shares or claims, because we have a legal duty of confidentiality."