Member Article

Wildlife staff jumping for joy at TV ad

It’s not just the foxes, badger and hedgehog which are jumping for joy in the new John Lewis Christmas television advert, staff at Northumberland Wildlife Trust are jumping for joy… and that’s without the use of a trampoline.

John Lewis has chosen The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) as its charity partner for this year’s advert which highlights the joy of wildlife in this country today. As part of the partnership, John Lewis, which has a store in Newcastle’s Eldon Square, will donate 10% of the retail price of a selection of cuddly toys featured in the ad sold in their stores and online to TWT.

Many Northumberland Wildlife Trust staff were moved to tears when they saw the television ad for the first time as it reinforces the message its staff and supporters have been tirelessly championing for almost 45 years - namely that nature is a joy and that everybody, if they keep their eyes peeled at the right time, can have an animal encounter - either in the countryside or a suburban garden as in the advert.

The 10% donation from toy sales to The Wildlife Trusts, of which Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member, is such an added bonus at a time when conservation funding is becoming much more difficult to secure. These funds will go towards The Wildlife Trusts’ work engaging children with nature – including wildlife action packs for schoolchildren, activity booklets, and wildlife resources for teachers to use in lessons.

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive said: “Talk about ending the year on a high! It couldn’t get much better than this - the most anticipated Christmas television advert showcasing the magic of wildlife in the UK.

“With the support of John Lewis Northumberland Wildlife Trust, together with the other 46 UK wildlife trusts will enable us to inspire thousands more people of all ages to the wonders of the natural world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Bishop .