Chopsy Blog: PR Poppycock of the Day Award goes to the National Trust

 

It started as a news story, but quite frankly, there is only so much condescending ill-informed junk you can take from a ‘charity’.

Brains of Britain, the National Trust, believes parents need more support to connect their children with the natural world.

Despite having property managers who get lost on their own estates, the Trust is worried that a generation completely cut off from the natural world is inevitable.

Time for a Powerpoint presentation and a digestive biscuit anyone?

The Trust’s recent report The Natural Childhood Inquiry, found that children’s love of nature is best started in the home.

Quite how those who live in crime ridden areas, near mugger parks and high rise flats are supposed to embrace the natural outdoors is unclear.

Maybe with a staffy?

Director-General, Reynolds, of the National Trust, undermines the intelligence of British parents saying: “Parents want their children to have a better connection with nature, but they don’t feel completely confident in how to make that happen in a safe and stimulating way.”

Surely this sums up many of the middle management employees of the Trust itself.

It’s PDR time! How do you think you did this year Mr Miscellaneous Middle Ranking Countryside Annihilation Manager?

Final Comment: “Well, we want the public to have a better connection with nature, but don’t feel completely confident in how to make that happen in a safe and stimulating way.”

In its favour, the inquiry does recognise there are some big barriers to a closer relationship with nature.

These include excessive health and safety rules, traffic and the poor quality of green and natural spaces within communities.

Strangely, it did not seem to be aware of extortionate costs involved in a jolly to countryside, to be watched with suspicion by members of staff who think they would rather spend their money at Alton Towers.

A total of 2,072 adults, of which just 419 were parents of children aged 12 years and under were surveyed.

Apparently this has been weighted and is representative of the UK population. Perhaps in a middle class Bizarro world.

PR poppycock at its finest.