A grant of £263,000 from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been awarded to the National Trust so that it can educate visitors to its properties about how to live in a more environmentally friendly way.

The project, to be rolled out from April, is called 'Small Steps, Big Change', and is an initiative to encourage staff, volunteers, visitors and members to lead a greener lifestyle.

Laura Hetherington, Head of Learning and Interpretation at the National Trust, says, "This new money will help the National Trust increase its work as an educator and campaigner on environmental issues which affect everyone. We want Trust staff, volunteers, members and visitors to act as advocates, making small steps in their everyday life, whether buying local food or cutting down on energy use, which collectively can bring about more far-reaching change."

'Food choices' and 'Green choices'

The two key aspects of the project centre on food, and waste and energy reduction. 'Food choices' is aimed at helping people to learn about food, farming, and growing. It will deal with issues like seasonality, and composting food waste.

The 'Green choices' part of the project will help people to interact more with their environments, learning about practical ways towards sustainability.

The 'Small Steps, Big Change' project seeks to engage, inform, and energise us all into discovering how we, as consumers, impact upon the environment and the positive measures we can take to make a difference.