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 a 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.
Enjoy a family day outdoors, and get a little helping hand from us. All subscribers to Kite, our free debit card and app for kids, can claim two free kids lunches at National Trust spaces. It’s as simple as downloading your gift card from Online Banking.
We’re also the proud sponsor of Summer of Play 2024: during activity-packed days in July and August, kids can try different sports, follow nature trails or spark creativity with arts and crafts workshops.
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.
