Leave a legacy

Local nature lover Joan really cared about Hawkins Wood: 10 hectares of beautiful woodland near Therfield, Royston. Joan was concerned that it needed to be properly looked after so that future generations could access and enjoy it.

She was not only kind enough to leave the wood to HMWT in her will, but her additional bequest also ensured we could continue to manage the habitat and safeguard the wildlife that Hawkins Wood is home to.

Mr Inward, known to his friends and family as Bert, was originally from North London.  His varied career took him all over the country, and - in the early days as a WW2 RAF radio operator - the world too.  He eventually found his way to Hertfordshire, settling in Hemel Hempstead.

He became heavily involved in local community and charity work, including organising flag days for the Wildlife Trust and even winning ‘Best Decorated Stall’ for the Trust at the Christmas Charity Market in 1992.

His support over the past 25 years ranged from being a member and fundraising for the Trust, to conservation volunteering and  surveying.  He would have been pleased that the Trust’s restoration work has transformed Hertfordshire’s wetlands and improved habitats for our aquatic wildlife. His kind gift to our work will enable this important local conservation to continue.

Fred was born and brought up in Watford, and with his two younger brothers, his early years were spent exploring the local woods and fields. In his adult and married life he moved to Harrow, making him a true Herts and Middlesex man, enjoying gardening, walking and good food. 

As a keen bird watcher, he was often seen with a pair of binoculars and a camera around his neck trawling his favourite HMWT reserves, including Stocker’s Lake, Wilstone Reservoir and Amwell. 

Fred’s kindness and generosity as a member of the Trust over the past 18 years has made a real difference to local wildlife, now and for the future.

Hertfordshire 

resident and life member of the Wildlife Trust, Jean was passionate about local wildlife.  She also enjoyed many ‘wildlife’ holidays and with them she visited countries as diverse as Costa Rica, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Jordon, as well as most of Southern Europe.

She was an ardent and knowledgeable botanist, but also enjoyed the archaeological treasures and the culture of all the countries that she visited. Her ‘wildlife’ holidays always provided her with such a wide spectrum of interest. Although keen on experiencing wildlife on her travels, local wildlife was always close to Jean’s heart. 

The legacy bequest Jean kindly left the Trust has helped us continue protecting local wildlife and their habitats for the future.

Hertfordshire resident Mary loved the countryside, a passion instilled in her from a young age, growing up in the beautiful surroundings of the Black Mountains in Abergavenny.

She and her husband were members of the Trust from the 1980s, with their interest in wildlife continuing right though their lives. They were avid birdwatchers, often visiting Tring Reservoirs. Norfolk was another popular destination for them, to spot waders and seabirds.

Although they loved travelling to see wildlife, the nature on their doorstep – garden birds in particular – was always very important to them.

The legacy bequest Mary kindly left the Trust has helped us protect native wildlife and habitats, giving people continued access to nature.

• We will always respect your privacy. We understand that your will is completely personal to you.
• We understand your family and loved ones will always come first.
• The Trust is committed to protecting wildlife for the future and so we always encourage people to remember us in their will. However, 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 legacy gift, but equally we respect your decision if you prefer not to.
• If you choose to let us know about your gift, and would like us to, we can stay in touch and keep you informed of our plans, events and our local conservation work —work made possible by gifts like yours.
• We will never ask you to disclose the value or type of gift you have chosen to leave to the Trust.
• We assure you that your gift will be used carefully and cost-effectively so that it has the greatest possible impact on our local wildlife.
• If you would like your gift to be used in a particular way we are happy to discuss your wishes, otherwise we will use it where the need is greatest when the time comes.
• We will treat any information you provide to us as confidential.
• After receiving your gift we may publicise what it has helped to achieve, in order to thank you and to encourage future legacies. This will only be with the express permission of your family or the executor of your will.
• We respect your right, at any time in the future, to change your mind about a gift in your will to Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.