Leave a legacy

• Continue to care for and protect our nature reserves so that wildlife can thrive
• Restore and reconnect precious habitats and breeding sites to support the recovery of threatened species
• Purchase land to ensure more areas of Leicestershire and Rutland are protected for nature
• Work with landowners to help them manage their land in a wildlife friendly way
• Empower local communities to take action for wildlife
• Expand our education work so we can inspire and educate more young people about the importance of protecting the natural world 

• We will respect your privacy. Your Will is a personal document expressing your wishes which we will respect.
• We understand your family and loved ones will always come first.
• We recognise that it is your decision and that you need to make it in your own time.
• We’d love to hear from you if you would like to let us know you have left us a gift in your Will but equally we respect your decision if you prefer not to.
• If you choose to let us know about your gift we can stay in touch and keep you informed of our plans, events and the work we do.
• We respect your right, at any time in the future, to change your mind about a gift in your Will to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
• We assure you that your gift will be used carefully and cost effectively.
• We will treat any information you provide to us as confidential.

Make your will online, over the phone or in person for free with our partners Octopus Legacy (formerly known as Guardian Angel). Octopus Legacy Wills are legally binding and checked by experts. Many of our members decide to leave a special gift in their Will; however, there is no obligation to do so if you wish to use the offer. Create your will for free online here or if you prefer, call 0800 773 4014, and quote our unique code LRWT-FREE.

The  Wildlife Trust is a member of Remember a Charity, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of remembering charities in Wills and making the process as simple as possible. They have created an easy to follow guide for getting started on your Will.

Alternatively, contact a qualified legal professional. The Law Society can provide you with a directory of solicitors near you.

Absolutely. We are so grateful for any amount you feel able to leave in your Will for wildlife and even a gift of 1% of your estate will make a huge difference. 

There are three types of gift you can leave in your Will:

• A specific sum. This is a gift of a set amount of money.
• A share of your estate. This is a percentage of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid. These gifts are very important to us as they usually maintain their value or increase over time. This also means you're less likely to need to amend it in the future.
• A gift of land. This is a gift of a specific piece of land in your possession.

While we’re unable to provide specific legal advice, we are happy to talk to you about how your gift could be used to protect wildlife. Remember a Charity work with many Will writing professionals and solicitors that can help you to write or update your Will. The Law Society can also provide you with a list of local solicitors.

You can also make your will online, over the phone or in person for free with our partners Octopus Legacy (formerly known as Guardian Angel).

The cost of writing a Will varies depending on how complicated it is. Your solicitor will be able to advise you.

Make your will online, over the phone or in person for free with our partners Octopus Legacy (formerly know as Guardian Angel). Octopus Legacy Wills are legally binding and checked by experts. Many of our members decide to leave a special gift in their Will; however, there is no obligation to do so if you wish to use the offer. Create your will for free online here or if you prefer, call 0800 773 4014, and quote our unique code LRWT-FREE.

It’s worth thinking about what you want to include in your Will before seeing a solicitor. You should consider:

• Who you would like to be your executor, the person who will carry out the wishes in your Will.
• What money and belongings do you have? For example, property, savings, pensions, insurance policies and bank accounts.
• Who do you want to remember in your Will? List all your family members, friends and the causes you care about.

If you already have a Will and would like to make some small changes, you do not need to make a new Will. Instead you can add a codicil to your Will and send it to your solicitor. A codicil is a document which allows you to make changes or additions to an existing Will and must be read in conjunction with it.

If you’ve decided you want to remember Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust in your Will, you can take the following wording to your solicitor. They will make sure your Will is valid and that your wishes are followed.

• A specific sum of money

My bequest to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust for a set sum - a pecuniary legacy "I give free of tax to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (Registered charity number 210531 of The Old Mill, 9 Soar Lane, Leicester, LE3 5DE), the sum of £______ for the general purposes of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.

• A share of your estate

My bequest to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust of the residual estate (or a proportion of) - a residuary or percentage legacy "Subject to the payment of my debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, I give the whole (residuary) or ______% of my estate not otherwise disposed of by this my Will to Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (Registered charity number 210531 of  The Old Mill, 9 Soar Lane, Leicester, LE3 5DE), for the general purposes of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.

We really appreciate hearing that you have thought of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust when making your Will. It allows us to say a big thank you for your generosity and keep you up to date with our work and plans for the future.

You can make changes to your Will whenever you want to and letting us know that you’ve thought of us in your Will is not legally binding in any way.

If you are happy to let us know then contact Jo Brailsford-Finnis in confidence.

It is your Will, and we respect that you can change it as and when you want to. If you do, we would be very grateful to hear from you if you have changed, added, or removed a gift to the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust from your previous Will.