The National Trust Recruiting for Kids' Council

SWINDON, ENGLAND, August 16, 2012 (Press-News.org) The National Trust has announced it is recruiting a group of advisors made up entirely of children to provide advice on how to get more of the nation's kids outdoors.

The idea follows the charity's recent Natural Childhood Report and 50 things to do before you're 11 3/4 campaign, and shows the Trust stepping up its game in encouraging children to explore the outdoors and get closer to nature.

The National Trust is looking to sign up ten children aged between seven and twelve to the Kids' Council* where they will play an important role in developing the charity's outdoor campaigns, and making their properties more fun for younger visitors.

The perfect candidate will be brimming with enthusiasm and fun, plus have a natural love for the outdoors and fresh air. Potential applicants are also required to have an adventurous spirit and a wild imagination. A fondness for rolling down hills or jumping in muddy puddles would be considered a bonus.

To offer children a chance to try out the National Trust and get inspiration on what they would like to change if they were appointed to the Kids' Council, the Trust will open up its doors to children for free for the whole month of August. Over 200 places will be free of charge to children**, giving them the opportunity to explore National Trust places across the country.

The successful council applicants will be announced later in the year and will be offered free access to National Trust places for themselves and their family. Canoeing, surfing and camping are among the activities that will be part of the winning prize to ensure kids and their families experience the full National Trust offering. The Kids' Council will meet throughout 2013 and report their findings into the National Trust's Visitor Experience Director, so their suggestions can be put into practise to help make the outdoors more fun for the nation's kids.

The application process will close on 7th September 2012. Applications can be downloaded from the website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kidscouncil and sent back via email, post or handed in at National Trust properties***.

Tony Berry, Visitor Experience Director of the National Trust, commented: "We are really committed to helping kids enjoy the great outdoors and we want to make our places the most fun and family-friendly day out destinations in the UK. I'm really excited that our new Kids' Council will help us do just that. Our kids go free promotion for the entire month of August will not only give kids and their families the chance to get out and explore, but hopefully inspire them to apply for our Kids' Council and let us know what we can do better in the future."

NOTES TO EDITORS
*Applications can be downloaded from the website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kidscouncil and sent back via email, post or handed in at National Trust properties.
** A maximum of 2 children (aged between 5 - 16yrs) can visit free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult
*** handed in at a property participating in the Kids Go Free offer. Terms and conditions apply. See webpage for details.

About National Trust:
The National Trust looks after more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 710 miles of coastline and hundreds of historic places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For more information and ideas for great value family days out go to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

For those stuck for ideas on what to do with the family this summer, the nationwide '50 Things' campaign to help get children outdoors and closer to nature, which has seized the public's imagination, now appears in a practical and handy book. Packed with outdoor activities, the book will get families off the sofa and parachute everyone into a whirl of activity in the fresh air. Further info can be found at shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/fiftythings.