One of the few positives that can be taken away from lockdown is that many of us have had the opportunity to get back in touch with nature. Be it taking your daily exercise at a local nature reserve, getting your hands grubby again with some wildlife-friendly gardening or simply appreciating the birdsong from your window, we should all be able to benefit from the joy that a connection with nature brings.

We are more committed than ever to bringing wildlife back across the local area and making it accessible to everyone in our region. Every day we work towards nature’s recovery through managing our nature reserves, securing important wildlife sites, and supporting the recovery of some of our rarest species. We work alongside passionate local people, connecting them with nature, inspiring a love for wildlife and helping local communities, authorities and businesses take positive action to aid nature’s recovery. However, with an estimated drop in income of up to £1 million in this year alone, resulting in potential losses of £280,000, Avon Wildlife Trust’s ability to protect and restore nature for the benefit of wildlife and people is at risk.

What is Remember a Charity Week?

Remember a Charity is a registered charity that brings together 200 organisations who rely on gifts in wills for vital income. They organise Remember a Charity Week every year as an opportunity to consider including a gift in your will to a cause you care about once you have cared for your loved ones. Gifts in wills allows Avon Wildlife Trust to continue delivering our front-line conservation work, such as maintaining and restoring special habitats for endangered species to help nature’s recovery, and our communities and engagement work, such as working with local schools to inspire a love for and understanding of the importance of nature in children of all ages.

Both Avon Wildlife Trust and Remember a Charity supply useful information on creating or updating your will. It can often seem like a confusing or overwhelming experience, so we are here to help simplify the process in any way that we can. You can find our useful step-by-step guides here. 

Every single gift, no matter the size, will make a lasting difference

By including a gift in your will to Avon Wildlife Trust, you can ensure that others continue to enjoy local wildlife and wild spaces for years to come – just as you do now. This doesn’t just have to be in the form of money but could be a piece of land or special item you hold dear.

You can find out more about including a gift to help local wildlife long into the future by visiting our dedicated webpages, including our collection of FAQs for those difficult questions.  However, if your question isn't answered or if you want to speak to a member of our friendly team in confidence, please contact me on georgia.moore@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk.