National Trust’s PR chief opposes Swindon move

Head of comms Julian Lloyd will step down after five years, opting to stay in London as his nine-strong comms team is consolidated within The National Trust’s Wiltshire headquarters. Also leaving is comms co-ordinator Emma Forbes, who is moving overseas.

‘There has been an effort to bring everything together under one roof ever since The National Trust moved to its new headquarters in Swindon three years ago,’ said Lloyd. ‘The organisation has been moving the teams over in two separate tranches.

Traditionally, our comms team has been spread all over the country, as it has dealt with regional media.’

Lloyd moved to The Nat­ional Trust as head of media in 2003 from United Business Media. He has yet to decide his next move, but is hoping to secure a senior ­comms role in the London area.

In addition to a new head of comms and a comms co-ordinator, The National Trust is also advertising for a press officer. Its HR spokesman said the new comms head would be entrusted with the over­all marcoms strategy across four key areas of cultural heritage, local food, climate change and wildlife.

The trust’s director of comms is former Weber Shandwick lobbyist and Sunday Telegraph journalist Ivo Dawnay, who splits his time between London and Swindon. The Swindon team ­operates out of a sustainable building called Heelis.