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The National Trust has reported that young people are signing up for new memberships at an exponential rate, with over 50,000 joining last year, a growth of 26% over 2024. What’s causing this growth?
More Gen Zers are taking an interest in The National Trust, new data shows.
The UK conservation charity says that the number of young people signing up for memberships (which require a donation of £4.20 per month) rose by 26% last year compared to 2024, with over 50,000 new Gen Z members. It’s the second consecutive year of growth for The National Trust and brings the total number of members aged between 18 and 25 to 90,000.
The news comes weeks after many major outlets reported an uptick in bird watching amongst Gen Z. In the UK, the RSPB suggests that up to 700,000 people aged 16 to 29 regularly birdwatch, a tenfold increase since 2018.
What’s causing this apparent, sudden fascination with nature, history, and all things outdoors? Experts reckon that The National Trust, in particular, has seen an influx of Gen Zers thanks to several viral TikTok trends, many of which the charity leans into on its own social media channels. ‘Start historymaxxing,’ one official TikTok video says. Another talks about chaffinches using a viral clip of influencer Gymskin. Yes, really.
@nationaltrust Fountains Abbey was founded in 1132 and has a remarkable story to tell. It was once the largest and richest abbey in the north of England but fell at the hands of Henry VIII in the 16th century. Since then, it’s become a much loved tourist attraction, drawing curious visitors right back to Victorian times #history #yorkshire #britain
The most popular wave of content from heritage site social media channels was the ‘old historian or expert speaks in Gen Z slang’ trend from early 2026. This was exactly as it sounds: senior citizens giving tours of cultural spaces while using internet terms like ‘no cap’ and ‘rizzler.’ Watching seventy-year-olds describe 1600s artwork as ‘bussing’ is truly something and needs to be seen to be believed.
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Speaking to The Telegraph, The National Trust director of communications and fundraising, Celia Richardson, said that the charity had deliberately embraced memes and virality. ‘There’s a bit of a multiplier effect, where an influencer brings in more influencers,’ she said.
Success on social media has opened doors internationally and with US Gen Zers, she explained.
