Will you protect wildlife on your doorstep?

Will you protect wildlife on your doorstep?

(c) Steve Nicholls

This week is Remember a Charity Week, an opportunity to take a moment to consider including a gift to charity in your will that can make a real difference to a cause you care about. Not only is making a will the best way to protect the people you care about, but it’s a lot easier than you think and a great opportunity to give a gift to charity that you may not be able to make in your lifetime.

It is no secret that local wildlife is in trouble. With the ecological and climate emergencies we are all facing, the time to act is now. We have an ambitious goal to help protect 30% of land and sea for local wildlife – but we can only do that with the help of generous people  like you. A gift in your will to help protect Avon’s wildlife could help create more space for nature for the benefit of people and wildlife across the region long into the future.

Here at Avon Wildlife Trust, gifts in wills have helped to create more space for nature through donations and gifts of land. Hutton Hill, on the edge of the Mendips, was gifted by Bernard Cole in his will and given to the Trust in 2019. This unexpected gift left a lasting legacy for Bernard as it has opened up a vital link in the landscape to help important wild plants and animals, including greater and lesser horseshoe bats, thrive. We have great plans for this land to help make it even better for people and wildlife in Avon.

However, you don’t need to own land to make a lasting difference with a gift in your will. Every single gift makes a difference, no matter how large or small, whether money or land. With the help of people like you, Avon Wildlife Trust has looked after local wildlife and wild spaces for 40 years so you can be sure that every penny you gift will go towards ensuring a wilder future for people and wildlife. Did you know that a gift in your will could even reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that is paid on your estate?

It can take as little as 15 minutes to create your will as well. With our free online will writing service with Guardian Angel, you can complete your will, include a gift for Avon’s wildlife and have it checked by experts – all from the comfort of your own home. There’s absolutely no obligation to include a gift to Avon Wildlife Trust in your will and you can still create your will for free. To make the most of this offer please visit avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/freewillservice

A gift in your will could help secure important wildlife sites, saving them from future development, support the recovery of our rarest species, help landowners maintain their land in a way that lets wildlife thrive, inspire young people to care about the natural world and give a voice to local wildlife through campaigning and working with local authorities.

Visit avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/giftinwill today to find out more about including a gift in your will for Avon’s wildlife.

Find out more about including a gift in your will