Without gifts left in wills, our work simply wouldn’t be possible. Legacies fund a third of everything we do for woods and trees. That’s one in every three of the millions of trees we plant every year. A third of all the ancient woods we fight to save. And one in three of all the wildlife havens we create and protect.
We joined the Woodland Trust in 1984. Both of us really enjoy walking in the woods and in the countryside. Trees are very important to us.
As a child I often went for walks with my parents and woodlands were very important places for us. We looked at flowers, we looked at the trees, we loved birds, all sorts of nature.
One of the things I've really enjoyed is that despite always living in urban areas it's always been easy to get to places that were green, wooded, outdoors. And although there's some things you can do in your garden - it's nice to have trees, it's lovely to see the birds come, they're fledging at the moment - but actually to get out and away from an urban built up area is a joy. So we've spent over the years lots of time walking in managed woodland, sometimes in very ancient woodland, and I guess for us, the fact that the Woodland Trust is here to both protect the ancient woodland and to plant loads of new trees is a great combination. So that's one of the reasons why we're supporters.
I think it's important for us that we know that we're contributing to something that's going forward into the future. It's going to be very important for generations to have wonderful woodlands and for ancient woodlands to be protected. So that's something we very much support - both the protection and the maintenance of woodland, but also the campaigning side of the Woodland Trust to make sure that woodlands are not destroyed by infrastructure developments. It's very important to us to feel that there's a future for trees that we've seen today - very tiny little ones are going to be massive great ones long after we're gone! Part of our legacy will be that those can be there and other people can enjoy them.
I think the risk these days is big infrastructure projects that can run the risk of destroying without thinking about it
I suppose it sort of chimes with us because we're celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this year and I think probably for most of our married life we've enjoyed woodlands and walking and the kinds of areas the Woodland Trust supports. So that I think we can celebrate massively. And I think it's also producing the legacy for another 50, 100, whatever years to come.
You can plant gardens for today and next year and next week but you plant trees not for now but for children and grandchildren. That's really important to us, that legacy, and making a commitment to the Woodland Trust is an opportunity really to think about the future and not just now.
Without legacies, hundreds of threatened ancient woodlands would have been lost, and millions of trees wouldn't have been planted. By remembering woods and trees in your will, you’ll leave a lasting gift that makes a real difference.
Whatever its size, you can rest assured that any gift you leave will be spent where it’s needed most – to benefit woods and trees, and the wildlife that relies on them.
Credit: Niall Benvie / WTML
Brig o’ Turk, Stirling
Only scattered remnants of ancient woodland remained when we first took on this glorious slice of the Scottish Highlands in 1996. Gifts in wills have since helped us plant more than one million native trees here, bolstering hidden glens of ancients and restoring the landscape to its rich magnificence.
Credit: Jonathan Coombes / WTML
Normanton le Heath, Leicestershire
Legacies helped to create this brand new woodland in the National Forest – the largest under single ownership in the area. Planted to celebrate the sixty year anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign in 2012, it’s already a birdwatcher’s paradise boasting owls, woodpeckers and wading birds.
Chepstow, Gwent
This historic site was once a hunting preserve of Chepstow Castle, but modern conifer planting had shrouded much of its glory in shadow. Three crucial gifts in wills helped secure its future as a Woodland Trust wood, allowing us to restore it to a state befitting its royal past.
If you’ve already remembered the Woodland Trust in your will or are thinking about doing so, we’d love to hear from you. We’d like to show you our appreciation and ensure you receive information that’s relevant to you.
We don’t inherit the land from our ancestors. We borrow it from our grandchildren. We’d like to help leave the world better than we found it.
We understand your loved ones come first, but if you do choose to remember the Woodland Trust in your will, thank you.
Making a will is all about ensuring your wishes count, and we would strongly recommend obtaining independent professional advice.
Our friendly team is on hand to talk things through and help make the choice that works for you.
Email legacies@woodlandtrust.org.uk for a confidential chat.
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For more information, frequently asked questions and a helpful will-writing checklist, download our gifts in wills brochure.
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