Ashridge Estate Young Writer's Poetry Competition Terms and Conditions
The Protecting Our Roots team are launching a Young Writer’s Poetry Competition during February Half Term (Saturday 14th – Sunday 22nd February) as a way of creating a positive connection with nature and Ashridge by getting young people to think more creatively about the space and what it means to them. Below are the Terms and Conditions for the competition.
Terms and Conditions
Ashridge Estate Young Writer’s Poetry Competition
1. This competition is open to all residents of the UK, except for employees of the National Trust, their families or anyone associated with this competition.
2. “We” / “Us” means the National Trust, charity number 205846, and National Trust (Enterprises) Limited.
3. All information detailing how to enter this competition forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all terms and conditions are adhered to. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.
4. The decision of the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. Entries should be emailed to protecting-ashridge@nationaltrust.org.uk. Entrants must supply their full name, age and email address along with the poem title and entry. We regret that we are unable to accept postal entries.
6. All entries must be received by midnight on the 22nd February 2026. Late, incomplete entries will not be accepted.
7. Entrants under the age of 16 must obtain the consent of a parent or guardian prior to submitting any text.
8. Personal data supplied during the course of this competition will be processed as set out in our privacy policy, which can be viewed on the National Trust website: Privacy policy | National Trust
9. There are two age categories for the competition: ages 7 – 10 years old and 11 – 15 years old. For each category, one winner and one runner up will be selected.
10. There is a limit of one entry per person. Any person who submits more than one entry will not be disqualified.
11. All entries submitted must be the work of the individual submitting them and must not have been published elsewhere or have won a prize in any other competition.
12. Entrants must ensure that the entries they are submitting are their own work, that they own copyright for them, and that they do not infringe the copyright or other rights of any third party or any laws.
13. All entries must be no more than the 6-line count limit. Any entries longer than this will not be considered.
14. Competition entries will be judged on the following criteria, as outlined on Ashridge Estate social media channels (Facebook and Instagram): originality, spelling and grammar, and enjoyment
15. Entrants will retain copyright and moral rights in their submitted entries however, by entering, all entrants:
a. Grant the National Trust non-exclusive rights to use the entry to promote the competition the entries were submitted to or for similar future competitions within a five-year period of the winners of the competition being announced;
b. Agree that the use referred to at Clause 10(a) above may include publishing, displaying or otherwise reproducing the entries (whether on the internet, in the National Trust Magazine, in exhibitions or otherwise) provided such use is for the purposes of promoting the competition or similar future competitions; and
c. Agree that the National Trust may contact them using the contact details they provide to discuss potential use of the entries beyond promotion of the competition. Such discussions and negotiation will be independent from the competition and will not affect entrants’ chances of winning.
16. The National Trust will ensure the entrant will always be credited whenever his or her entry is used and published by the National Trust.
17. The winning entries will be judged in accordance with the criteria set out on Ashridge Estate social media channels (Facebook and Instagram).
18. Winners will be notified by email in week commencing 2nd March 2026. If a winner cannot be contacted or is not available, the judges reserve the right to select another winner from the eligible entries which were received before the closing date.
19. The overall winner of the Young Writer’s Poetry Competition from each category will win a notebook of their choice up to the value of £5.00 from the Ashridge Estate Shop. We will also display the winning poem from each category at a public engagement event at Berkhamsted Civic Centre on 8th March 2026. Both the winning and runner up poems from each category will also be displayed in the Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre from 9th March – 5th April 2026.
20. All prizes are non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives.
21. The prize will be available for collection from the Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre at a time agreed with the National Trust. Winners must be able to travel to collect their prize. Travel to the Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre is not included and the winners will need to make their own travel arrangements.
22. The first name and age of the competition winner from each category (along with the title of their poem) will be published on Ashridge Estate social media. If the entrant objects to their name / age / poem being published or wish to reduce the amount of information to be published, they should state this in their submission.
23. The winners may be required to take part in publicity, and their name and county may be published on the National Trust website, in the National Trust Magazine and other National Trust publications.
24. Events may occur that render the competition itself or the awarding of the prize[s] impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the National Trust and accordingly the National Trust may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the promotion and the entrant agrees that no liability shall attach to the promoter as a result thereof.
25. English law applies and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts shall prevail.