London Historic Buildings Trust appoints Georgina Nayler as Chair of Trustees

The London Historic Building Trust (LHBT) has announced the appointment of Georgina Nayler MBE as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees. She takes over from Diana Beattie OBE, who is stepping down after close to 20 years with the Trust.

The appointment comes at an important time for LHBT which is implementing a new strategy, developed under Diana Beattie’s leadership, to raise its profile, expand its capacity to deliver a larger number of sustainable, heritage-led regeneration projects and focus on social impact.

Georgina Nayler brings many years of heritage and conservation sector experience to the role. She has worked in grant giving throughout her career and was Director of the Pilgrim Trust until May 2020. She has been a member of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland, Chair of Archives Revealed and Chair of the Women’s Diversionary Fund.

She is currently Chair of the Charlotte Bonham Carter Charitable Trust, Deputy Chair of the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust, a member of the Finance and Audit Committee for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and a member of the Development Board for the Royal Society of Sculptors.

Georgina succeeds Diana Beattie, who has stepped down after six years as Chair and 19 years as a trustee. During her time with the Trust, Diana has been instrumental in unlocking some of the Trust’s most challenging projects, notably St George’s Garrison Church in Woolwich, which the Trust acquired from the MOD in 2010. She oversaw LHBT’s Resilient Heritage Project in 2019 and the development of the Trust’s new strategy and successful re-brand in early 2020. Her long-standing commitment to LHBT has been invaluable to its success and future growth.

Georgina Naylor, new Chair of LHBT, said: "I am very pleased to be taking on this new role with the London Historic Buildings Trust. It is a challenging time for our urban environment, which is likely to be in even more need of regeneration and support in the future. Diana has worked incredibly hard and successfully to guide the Trust over the years and will be a hard act to follow, but I am relishing the opportunity to contribute to the important work of the Trust."

Diana Beattie, retiring Chair of LHBT, said: "I am delighted that Georgina is taking over from me as Chair of the Trust. Georgina has many decades of experience turning derelict historic buildings at risk into viable projects which will serve London's local communities. She also brings enthusiasm and leadership which will be a great benefit to the Trust and, indeed, to the whole of London. "

In a joint statement LHBT Vice Chairs Rosie Fraser and Alice Yates said: “The trustees would like to thank Diana for the tremendous contribution she has made to the Trust. With her energy and enthusiasm, she has played a vital role in helping us deliver some complex regeneration projects and under her leadership we have created a robust strategy which should ensure a promising future for the Trust. We’re all now looking forward to working with Georgina to expand the Trust’s work even further, meeting the needs of London communities in these challenging times by delivering more successful regeneration projects with real social benefits.”

For more information, please contact Alice Yates at are available on request.

The London Historic Buildings Trust works with Historic England, local authorities and other partners and building owners to develop heritage-led regeneration projects throughout London, putting the needs of local communities at the heart of their work.

Formerly known as the Heritage of London Trust Operations (HOLTOPs), the Trust has almost 30 years’ experience of tackling challenging heritage at risk projects in London.

LHBT also works with key stakeholders to ensure that its projects are informed by the needs of the local community and result in positive social change and sensitive regeneration, as well as training, learning, volunteering and employment opportunities. It also works to support local communities in their aspirations to safeguard local buildings, offering professional guidance through training and consultancy services.

To find out more about LHBT please go to