Why others chose to leave a gift in their Will, and its lasting impact
John Holland's gift in his Will
John’s gift has been used to help with the set up and ongoing development of the plant nursery at Gosling Sike in Carlisle.
The wild flowers grown at the nursery are being used to restore meadows and verges across Cumbria.
Discover more about John Holland's gift in his Will
John’s family live close to Gosling Sike Nature Reserve. Using his gift in this way has given them a place they can visit often, to see the progress and impact John’s generosity makes on a daily basis.
I remember John and his wife, Jenny, campaigning for the council to stop cutting the grass verges at the side of the road so that wild flowers could grow. How wonderful, then, that Gosling Sike has a nursery to grow plants that may well end up by the sides of those roads. I think the reason why John left a gift to Cumbria Wildlife Trust is simple: he loved Cumbria, he loved wildlife and he trusted that his money would be put to good use. And I believe he would have whole heartedly approved of the vision behind Gosling Sike and been proud to support it.
Harvested wild flower seed from Gosling Sike nursery
Augill pasture nature reserve
Barbara Crossley's gift in her Will
In Barbara’s memory, her children made a deed of variation to Barbara’s Will with a gift to support a peatland restoration at Tilberthwaite.
“We have all watched the sun set over the mountain for over 40 years, and the opportunity to make a lasting contribution to that particular landscape gives us great joy.“ Barbara Crossley
Discover more about Barbara Crossley's gift in her Will
Having a stake in the peat bog restoration reaffirms my lifelong roots to the Langdale fells. It gives a sense of permanence and an opportunity to put into practice the obligation of stewardship which we all have, to preserve the world for future generations. I love the idea that my grandchildren will be able to visit Dry Cove Moss well over 100 years after mum first went there, to love what she loved, to know that they contributed to making it beautiful and effective, and to experience the continuity of generational heft, like the herdwicks.
Armboth Fell after peatland restoration © Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Margaret Albon's gift in her Will
It is with great thanks and gratitude that we accepted the gift of Margaret’s meadow at Ravenstonedale. Margaret made a cash gift in her Will for its ongoing management and today, thanks to her generosity, the meadow is part of the spectacular Bowber Head Farm Nature Reserve.
We will continue to nurture the meadow for wildlife and it serves as the fitting legacy that she wished it to be.
Discover more about Margaret Albon's gift in her Will
My late husband and I bought 7 acres of hay meadow which we have managed in the old-fashioned way in the hope that it will revert to being more species rich. The Trust helped with one of the 2 fields by providing plug plants, spot spraying and liming—something to say thank you for.
Years ago, I became a trustee and could see, at first-hand how well Cumbria Wildlife Trust is managed, how important legacy income is and how much it is valued, so the decision to give something back through a gift in my Will was an easy one. I am comforted to know my gift will be looked after by the Trust for years to come and will benefit wildlife long after I am gone.
Funding will help us restore and re-connect important species-rich grasslands in Cumbria © Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Andrew Holliday's gift in his Will
The Andrew Holliday fund was created from Andrew’s generous gift in his Will with the principle that the fund would be spent on wildlife conservation priorities. Andrew’s express wish is the principle that underpins how we use all gifts in Wills.
Andrew’s generosity and foresight will contribute to the protection of wildlife in Cumbria for decades to come.
Discover more about Andrew Holliday's gift in his Will
£250,000 from the Andrew Holliday Fund has contributed to supporting young people into conservation, peatland restoration, wildflower habitat creation and the protection of our marine wildlife. His gift has released a further £4.5m of funding to benefit our local wildlife, read the full story here.
Of course, not everyone has the means to give such a generous gift like Andrew’s, but his story shows how every legacy can achieve something great for the protection of the wildlife we all love.
The generosity of those who leave something in their Wills for wildlife means that every one of those gifts in a Will received by Cumbria Wildlife Trust has the potential to achieve something bigger than you might ever expect - something that will have a lasting impact on Cumbria’s wildlife & wild places.
Leave a gift in your Will
A gift in your Will is a simple yet powerful way to keep your wishes alive. No matter how big or small, your gift can help Cumbria’s wildlife in the future.