Trust staff member Steph Watson explains why she is thinking of taking part. 

“I am the Fundraising Officer here at the Wildlife Trust and
embarrassingly I don’t yet have a Will. I am not alone though. In fact almost 60% of people in the UK do not have a Will. If I die without one, I will have no say in who receives what from my estate. I can’t leave any of my loved ones a final gift, or pass on the few bits and pieces I have inherited. For example I have a brooch from my grandmother, it isn’t valuable but I wore it at my wedding and I know I would like to pass it on.

“Personally I think that writing a Will can be a rather daunting task and it’s easy to put it off as other day-to-day jobs take priority. That said, working in the sector that I do I am aware that it is an important task that one should put aside time to. It will give me a chance to think about the future, how I might like to help family and friends and even to consider what sort of world I want for my loved ones.

“Working as a fundraiser I also understand just how important legacy gifts are to charities. I have seen the amazing work that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has been able to achieve which simply would not have been possible without legacies. Nature reserves like Sandown Meadows on the Isle of Wight and Chappetts Copse in the Meon Valley might not exist at all and much of our essential conservation work would not have been possible.

“The charities I support now are all important to me. When I do make my Will, I like to think I will leave a gift to them too. This is why I am thinking of taking part in the Will for  wildlife scheme this October. It will be my way of investing in the sort of world I hope my family and future generations will be able to enjoy.

“After all, and to slightly rephrase the original Greek proverb, ‘A society grows great when people plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in’.”