We’ve teamed up with the National Trust to support nature and young people. Find out why, and what we’re up to, below.
Together, we want our partnership to be one of opportunity. The opportunity for families to have memorable days out, the opportunity for school kids to spark a love for nature, and the opportunity for British nature to recover.
You can find out more about our projects below.
We want to inspire the next generation by giving children who may struggle to access outdoor spaces the opportunity to engage with and champion nature. That’s why we’re funding nature workshops held at National Trust spaces. Over 4,000 young people have already taken part in workshops – our goal is to reach 6,000 by July 2024.
The positive effect of nature on mental health and wellbeing have been widely shown and we believe all young people should have access to it.
Children exposed to nature early in life are more likely to develop a love for it as an adult too, and seek to protect it. As part of the funding, we’re also providing year long Educational Group Memberships for all attending schools as well as return passes for each attending child so they can share the magic of nature with their friends or family.
We’re the proud sponsor of National Trust’s Summer of Play.
During activity-packed days in July and August, families tried different sports, followed nature trails or sparked creativity with arts and crafts workshops. We also put together this handy map to help visitors find their closest flagship Summer of Play space! Please note, National Trust Summer of Play venues may vary in subsequent years.
This year, over 9,000 children enjoyed a free lunch at a National Trust cafe thanks to our Kids Eat Free summer offering. We’ll be supporting Summer of Play again next year, so keep an eye out for more offers. If you’ve already claimed your voucher, you can view it in Online Banking or in your email.
Check out our FAQs for more information on Kids Eat Free.
Only 3% of the world’s surface is peatland, but peatland absorbs more carbon than all of the world’s rainforests put together. That’s why we’re funding seven peatland restoration projects across the UK. These projects will restore peatland and help studies for future restoration elsewhere.
At the moment, 80% of the UK’s peatland is in bad condition. It’s too dry, and when peatland is too dry it actually releases carbon instead of absorbing it. Restoring our iconic peatland landscapes is a vital sustainability project.
By April 2025, together with match funders, we’ll have supported the restoration of 400 hectares of peatland – the equivalent of 372 football pitches!
We’re proud to say 178 people on our team have volunteered at National Trust spaces so far – helping out with everything from replacing fences and hedge clearing to painting and garden maintenance.
One project involved heading to Wicken Fen, a peatland reservation we support, to help with restorative work like breaking down old fences and clearing a boardwalk for visitors. We also heard from the rangers about the importance of peatland and the attention needed to take care of such a complex ecosystem.
