Leave a gift in your will

Established in 1961 by a small group of volunteers, Dorset Wildlife Trust is now the county’s largest conservation charity, managing over 40 nature reserves as well as four visitor centres for the benefit of nature and people. Our vision is a Wilder Dorset, rich in wildlife, valued and nurtured by everyone. With your help, we can safeguard our natural world for future generations and enable people to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

20% of our income comes from donations made by our wonderful members, therefore we rely heavily on other donations, including gifts in wills, to continue our challenging work of protecting Dorset’s wildlife. Membership provides us with our only secure stream of unrestricted income – i.e. funds that we can put to use when and where they are needed the most, enabling us to grasp opportunities as they arise.

Income received from legacy gifts is often unrestricted as well. Combined, membership and gifts in wills provide almost 100% of our unrestricted income. Over the years, we have been so very touched by the generosity of the gifts in wills that we have received, which form a significant portion of our overall funding.

In these uncertain times, and with the threat of the climate and ecological crises, the income generated by gifts in wills is more vital to our work now than ever before.

Over the last 10 years, gifts in wills have made up an average of 16% of our overall total income. They have enabled us to plan for future projects, react to emergency situations, buy land adjacent to our reserves to create wildlife networks, and engage with schools and local communities.

Large or small, every gift in every will is valuable to us. Some gifts are expressed as cash or a share of an estate. All are welcomed and will be used directly to support our work. We’re so grateful to anyone who makes the special decision to include Dorset Wildlife Trust in their will. In the past, such gifts have been put towards things such as funding trainees, and the maintenance and upgrade of buildings and other physical assets.

The great thing is, a gift in your will doesn’t cost you anything now and allows you to continue supporting our work well into the future. You could even save on inheritance tax if you leave a gift to charity.

To make a new will or update an existing one, we advise that you speak to a solicitor. To include a gift to us, you will need our registered address and charity number: Dorset Wildlife Trust, Brooklands Farm, Forston, Dorchester, DT2 7AA. Registered charity number: 200222.

We have designed a free guide to make the process of writing your will as easy as possible. It contains useful information about making or changing your will, and how your gift can give Dorset a wilder future. You can request to download a digital copy of the guide, or receive a hard copy by post.

We are proud to partner with local solicitors to provide our valued supporters with a year-round opportunity to write or update an existing will at a discounted rate. You can also choose to write or update your will for free, with Octopus Legacy – online, by telephone or with a home appointment.

Dorset Wildlife Trust has a commitment to legacy pledgers and their next of kin. We promise that:

• We will not put pressure on you to include us in your will – this is your decision
• We will never ask you the size or type of gift, should you decide to support our work in this special way
• We absolutely recognise that your loved ones come first in your will
• We will respect your privacy. Your will is a personal document expressing your wishes, and we will treat any information you provide to us as confidential
• We will handle any gift you leave us with care, sensitivity and respect, in line with your wishes
• We fully understand that personal circumstances change and there might be a time when you must take us out of your will

The aims and objectives of Dorset Wildlife Trust will not change in the foreseeable future. We will use your gift carefully and cost-effectively so that it has the greatest possible impact on wildlife conservation in Dorset. 

We know that leaving a gift in your will is something you’ll want to think about very carefully. Have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for further guidance or to talk about how your gift could help make a difference to the future of Dorset’s wildlife, please contact Hannah Filer (Legacy and In Memory Officer) at fundraising@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or by telephone on 01305 217953.

We would love to hear from you if you would like to let us know you have already left us a gift in your will. Equally, we respect your decision if you prefer not to do so.