COLUMN: Leaving a legacy for wildlife
We manage 18 of the best sites for wildlife in this part of Mid Wales, and we work with local landowners on many more. Our aim is to help secure the future of many important habitats and species, which might otherwise be lost.
Throughout our 40-year history there are certain pivotal moments that stand out, as is the case for many organisations. While many of these predictably tally up with the launching of our most successful schemes – such as the pioneering, landscape-scale Pumlumon Project, or the Dyfi Osprey Project, which has supporters all over the world – you might be surprised to discover many others happened as a result of people, sometimes unbeknown to us, including generous gifts (or ‘legacies’, as they’re also known) to us in their Wills.
The first significant legacy we received was when we were just a small, grass-roots, volunteer-run group. It was in 1996, when a Mrs Collot included a £1 million gift to us in her Will. While a local lady, she was not personally known to the Trust and yet her generosity changed the face of our organisation forever; it enabled us to buy an office, hire staff and provides resources to fundraise, deal with conservation issues, work with the community and schools on education and outreach and to do some remarkable things for wildlife like the precious Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly.
Another memorable legacy was that given to us by Helen Skelton in 2016. Just shy of £25,000, her gift was a lifeline at a time when no other grant was available to fund our fantastic Nurtured by Nature scheme. The forerunner to our award-winning Wild Skills Wild Spaces project, it supported volunteering, confidence-building and wildlife skills education for people who would normally struggle to engage with nature.
As anyone who’s ever visited this magical woodland in springtime will attest, there could hardly be a more fitting legacy for a nature lover.
Similarly, one of our most recent legacies was from a much-loved supporter. Peter Murdoch – or ‘Posh Pete’, as he was fondly known by the team – was a hugely involved, hands-on volunteer at our Dyfi Osprey Project, where from 2009 he was a lynchpin of the Dyfi family, carrying out a range of vital roles, from people engagement to research.
His substantial gift, made solely to the project that meant so much to him, has safeguarded the future of the Dyfi Ospreys and Cors Dyfi for many years. Understandably, legacies from those dear to us are especially bittersweet, as we would always rather have that person with us still. But it’s further motivation to make their gift count.
A big part of the reason gifts in Wills are so transformative is that they’re usually unrestricted. This means that, unlike project grants which need to be spent on specific activities, they can be used flexibly, wherever and whenever they’re needed. For that reason, they’ve also enabled us to access funding streams normally out of reach, by providing us with something called ‘match-funding’. Nor do legacies have to be financial – they could be items such as books or paintings, or a pocket of land.
So, what motivates someone, once they’ve taken care of their family and loved ones of course, to leave a gift to a wildlife charity such as us?
Some might be impressed by conservation work we’ve carried out and feel motivated to help us do more. Others might feel compelled to protect their local area, so their children and grandchildren will grow up experiencing the wild wonders we’re lucky to still have in this part of Wales.
A particular beloved bird might prove the reason for others. Most who do so, whether for themselves or as a donation, take comfort in the knowledge they have left a meaningful mark on the landscape.
If you’ve included us in your Will, or plan to do so, please consider getting in touch. Not only would we love to know the reasons behind your selfless action, we’d also love the opportunity to be able to thank you for helping us make Montgomeryshire wilder.
- We have entered into a partnership that enables our supporters to write their Wills for free at home. For more information about this or our legacies generally, visit www.montwt.co.uk/legacy
PICTURE CAPTIONS:
Top: A gift of £1,000 from Judi Stretton, Mum of MWT Conservation Officer Tammy Stretton, helped the Trust buy their Dolforwyn Woods Nature Reserve Photo: © Kevin Heywood
Bottom: Longstanding volunteer at MWT’s Dyfi Osprey Project, Peter Murdoch, or ‘Posh Pete’, made a substantial gift to the project he loved, securing its future for many years Photo: © MWT/Emyr Evans
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