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Enjoy Easter break at home, urges National Trust Director General

9th April 2020

Categories: Visitor News

The Director General of the National Trust, Hilary McGrady, has today called for people across the UK to stay at home this Easter as part of the national collective effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

Image: Chocolate Easter nest ©National Trust Images, Willam Shaw.

The hundreds of houses, gardens and outdoor beauty spots in the charity’s care are traditionally a magnet over Easter weekend as people visit to celebrate. While National Trust places remain closed, the charity hopes people will still celebrate Easter and spring traditions. The Trust recently launched a year of action to tackle ‘nature deficiency’, building on research in collaboration with Derby University which showed that children and adults who mark natural events and observe the daily and seasonal rhythms of nature, are more likely to take action to protect nature as well as reporting higher levels of wellbeing.

McGrady said: “We know how sad our members and visitors are that they can’t travel to their favourite places to mark Easter and celebrate the arrival of spring this year, but our biggest priority has to be staying at home to help our NHS and keep ourselves and one another safe.

“During the closure we are still looking after the places people love, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming them back when it’s time. In the meantime, we’ve put together a new Easter experience with our members on our website so that people can stay connected to their favourite places and each other and create Easter memories in their own homes and gardens."

Starting from this week, the charity will launch a new rolling programme of online content which will include an intergenerational Great Easter Scavanger Hunt created with Trust members, encouraging families, even those who are apart, to join in, find particular objects around their homes and gardens and share their photos and activities via the charity's social media channels tagging them with @nationaltrust.

Beginning before Easter and while social distancing measures continue, the Trust’s website will each week feature free-to-access articles, podcasts, videos, tips and activities for all age groups. These will include:

showcases of historic treasures in the Trust’s vast collection, from papier-mâché Easter eggs to 18^th-century porcelain shepherds and shepherdesses;
exploring Easter traditions of the past and present such as egg rolling;
ideas for families – craft and activities to do in the garden;
expert garden Q&A articles on topics including spring flowers and house plants; and
a Weekend Challenge bringing elements of a weekend National Trust visit into family homes, including the chance to turn your hallway into a World Heritage Site!

The charity’s social media channels will also join in the programme of home-based activities and content, with films, pictures and stories including some special seasonal recipes to try.

The charity is also calling on people to hold on to rainbow signs, letters and other pieces of ephemera from this extraordinary time.

McGrady continued: “When this period in our lives is over, future generations will want to know about this time, and we may all need help to remember. Many people are creating time-capsules and writing letters to the future – we’d encourage people to hold onto the wonderful rainbow window signs that are appearing around the country, the messages people are sending one another, the pictures of neighbours sharing their appreciation for critical workers.

“We hope we can help everyone stay close to the nature, beauty and history that the Trust is here to look after. Our new activities are ones that everybody can do – whether that’s in their own front rooms or gardens – while sticking to the Government guidelines.”

More information is available on www.nationaltrust.org.uk