Summer of Play 2025

Project managing a flagship national programme that drove 4M visitors, +4% commercial growth, and increased the national repeat visit rate for the summer holidays.

National Trust Play Passports for Summer of Play.
A boy in a black masks plays in a ball pit.
A large panel advertising 'Summer of Play' in a field with play equipment, deckchairs, and bunting.
A child makes a rainbow collage from coloured paper.
A toddler in a yellow t-shirt and sunglasses plays with bubbles.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

CLIENT: National Trust

ROLE: Lead Project Manager

TIMELINE: February - December 2025

PROJECT TYPE: national programming / commercial / visit-driving

AUDIENCE: Families, children aged 0-12

Outcomes and achievements

  • Children play with a multi-coloured striped parachute.

    4 million visitors

    In 2025, Summer of Play drove 4 million visitors across 175 pay-for-entry National Trust properties.

  • National Trust Play Passports for Summer of Play.

    Play Passport motivates visitors to return

    74% of surveyed Play Passport-holders said it influenced their decision to visit again.

  • A pile of multi-coloured assorted lego pieces.

    70% 'Exceeds expectations'

    70% of surveyed visitors reported that Summer of Play exceeded their expectations.

  • Large coloured letters spell the word 'Play' in front of Quarry Bank Mill.

    2.1 million clicks

    Paid media activity resulted in 2.1m clicks, surpassing our forecast by 63% and last year's results by 68%.

  • A table covered in craft materials and a child's hands drawing on paper.

    Increased repeat visits

    We saw 1% drop in the proportion of young families visiting just once over the summer vs. 2024. All other frequencies increased, with the largest boost seen at 6+ visits.

  • Children play outdoors in front of a window.

    Increased motivation to visit

    43% of surveyed visitors cited Summer of Play as their main reason for visiting, an increase of +17% on motives in 2023.

  • A black ice-cream van called 'The Storm Scooper' showing pictures of storm troopers.

    Driving commercial growth

    Despite challenging budgets, participating properties achieved a +4% increase in income versus 2024 in both Food & Beverage and Retail outlets.

THE BRIEF

How do you deliver a consistent, high-quality family experience across 175 National Trust properties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland - all while driving measurable business growth and meeting sponsor requirements?

Summer of Play, sponsored by Starling Bank, is a well-established programme and brand. It’s highly popular with families nationwide, driving 5% growth for the National Trust in 2024.

This programme needed to balance national coordination with local delivery, introducing innovative engagement tools to drive growth, all while supporting local staff capacity and championing accessible play for all.

  • "Summer of Play was fabulous! They spent hours building towers, obstacle courses and doing enormous jigsaws. It was the perfect outing!"

    - A visitor, post-visit member survey

  • "The Summer of Play activities put on for the children were out of this world. We have been to many places this summer and this was by far the best."

    - A visitor, post-visit member survey

  • "The Summer of Play activities were as wonderful as ever! So well thought out for children. A brilliant day spent at one of our favourite places!"

    - A visitor, post-visit member survey

CAMILLA’S APPROACH

I directed national workstreams covering product development, marketing, logistics, and evaluation. I collaborated with national producers to develop a consistent, family-friendly look and feel across all Summer of Play collateral, incorporating Starling’s brand requirements. I led for internal service, supporting 39 top-tier properties through local programme development and delivery to ensure a high quality offer and strong performance.

I worked closely with Wasserman to produce and deliver a series of large-scale brand collateral via a national logistics operation in three countries. Working with family focus groups, I evolved the Play Passport to include a new incentive scheme to increase repeat visits. I also developed national training resources and webinars on risk assessment and accessibility, embedding inclusive play as a core programme strand. I tracked the budget and risks, reporting on scope weekly to the project sponsor.

DELIVERABLES

  • A large display board advertising Summer of Play in a field full of play equipment.

    Big impact collateral

    Arches, toblerones, flags, bunting, and more

  • Print collateral

    Bilingual Play Passports, posters, maps, flexible templates

  • A child's hand covered in blue paint.

    National guidance

    Expert resources for play, marketing, risk, and more

  • National webinars

    Expert-led sessions exploring best practice

  • A large display board advertising 'Summer of Play' stands in a field with a manor in the background.

    National marketing

    Visit-driving content across digital, print, paid media

  • Nationwide evaluation

    Digital and in-person surveys, visit data, cohort feedback

A green paper crown sits on top of a National Trust Play Passport for Summer of Play.
Children play on hobby horses at Clumber during Summer of Play.
A soft play area at Quarry Bank Mill during Summer of Play.
A table topped with children's toys, crowns, and a 'What's on' schedule for Summer of Play.
Multi-coloured bunting against a blue sky.
A hand holding a double-scoop ice-cream cone.

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