National Trust Christmas Gifts That Make a Real Difference

SWINDON, England, December 2, 2010 - National Trust is urging shoppers to forget those unwanted Christmas
jumpers, socks or candles and think red squirrels and large blue butterflies
this Christmas when searching for the perfect present for that
difficult-to-buy-for family member or the friend that has everything.

National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/) virtual gifts help
to raise much needed cash for a wide range of conservation projects and could
help solve the annual what-to-buy-for-Christmas headache.

Money raised in previous years has helped to fund an important research
project at Formby to help secure the survival future of red squirrels.

David Bullock, head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, said:
"Money raised through the generosity of people buying virtual gifts
(shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/category/virtual-gifts/53/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1)
for family and friends allows us to make projects happen and can make a
real difference to our wildlife work."

There are a wide range of gifts available which help support the National
Trust in its work to protect the coast and in the countryside.

The array of Christmas gifts for outdoor lovers (
shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/category/gifts-for-outdoor-lovers/72/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1)
available come in all shapes and sizes, so that while spending
hours hunting for Christmas presents can make some shoppers see red, a simple
GBP10 present to help save red squirrels or an apple tree to save UK orchards
may be just the right gift which will protect the environment too.

For the ultimate Christmas gifts for nature lovers (
shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/category/gifts-for-nature-lovers/73/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0/1)
there is even the option of a luxurious bat hotel at GBP2,000.
This five star hot box will be installed in the roof voids at one of the
National Trust's stately homes to help the rare horseshoe bats and their pups
keep nice and warm.

(Due to the length of these URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
space if one exists.)

The recipient of the virtual gift will receive a beautifully designed
greetings card and details of the gift that has been bought for them.

Notes to editors:

About National Trust:

The National Trust is a charity with a love for preserving historic
places and spaces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. National Trust
protects over 350 historic houses, 160 gardens, 1,100 kilometres of
coastline, 254,000 hectares of land of outstanding natural beauty, 6 World
Heritage Sites, 28 castles and 60 pubs - which are all open to the public to
enjoy.

The National Trust is one of the most important nature conservation
organisations in Europe with over 1,000 sites, including coastal, woodland
and upland areas; many of which are rich in wildlife. All 17 species of UK
bat have been recorded as roosting or breeding on National Trust land and 96
per cent of all resident UK butterflies can be found on its land.

    For further press information and images please contact:

    Mike Collins
    Senior Press Officer
    The National Trust
    Heelis
    Kemble Drive
    Swindon
    Wiltshire
    SN2 2NA
    +44(0)1793-817708

    www.nationaltrust.org.uk

For further press information and images please contact: Mike Collins, Senior Press Officer, The National Trust, Heelis, Kemble Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2NA, +44(0)1793-817708