Lucky customers have a tree-mendous day out!
More than 50 lucky IKEA FAMILY members participated in a day out in their local Woodland Trust wood.
The FAMILY members were first to respond to an e-mail invite to come along to a picnic and outdoor activity day at the charity's College Wood, near Nash, Bucks.
On the day the families met at IKEA MIlton Keynes' store and were taken by coach to the wood where they were given a brief introduction from IKEA and Woodland Trust staff, before delving into a picnic of sandwiches and fresh fruit.
The children were then asked to take part in a scavenger hunt where they looked out for hidden graphics of different mini-beasts and woodland plants. Each time they spotted one they got to pop a special sticker on a poster which they were able to take home at the end of the day.
They were then tasked with creating woodland art which comprised of decorating a giant tree template with lots of natural colours and textures.
Those who still had energy made woodland dens to play hide and seek in. Meanwhile the adults had a tour of the wood and then relaxed and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the natural outdoor playground.
Syd Seymour, who came along with his wife, said: "We enjoyed it at College Wood today. All IKEA staff were so nice and polite. The Woodland Trust also were wonderful, their knowledge about what we went to see was so good. Many thanks for a great day.”
IKEA has been raising money for the Woodland Trust since 2007 by making a 10p donation every-time customers swipe their IKEA FAMILY cards in store.
Each 10p donation is enough to pay for the Trust to plant a square 'foot of forest' in a wood near to every IKEA store, with the ultimate goal to create 450 acres of new native UK woodland.
Janette Wickens from the Trust said: "We were delighted by the response to this invitation by IKEA FAMILY members, who had logged on and filled all of the places within three hours of the invites going out!
"I would like to urge IKEA FAMILY card members to keep swiping their cards everytime they visit their local store as every swipe helps the Trust creates more new native woodland."
To find out more please contact your local store or visit www.ikea.co.uk and click on ‘Your local IKEA store’ link.