Giving in memory
A legacy for your loved one
Dramatic cliffs, hay meadows brimming with flowers, vast expanses of sandy beaches, bluebell-filled woods – there’s no better way to remember someone who loved Yorkshire and loved wildlife than to help protect our precious landscapes.
By giving a gift to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in memory of a loved one, you are making a real difference. You're helping us to look after over 100 nature reserves, standing up for wildlife that is under threat and inspiring the next generation to embrace nature and be wild.
(c) Marie Birbeck
Tom Chalmers
Tom Chalmers was a committed supporter of the Trust for many, many years. His particular passion was Grass Wood where he volunteered tirelessly - leading work parties, maintaining records, planting trees and fundraising for the place which was his second home. He was even known in his local town of Grassington as Mr Grass Wood!
When Tom died, aged ninety, his family knew the best way to honour his life was to ask for donations towards the Trust and reserve he loved so well. Tom’s expertise, knowledge and good humour is missed by all who knew him, but his memory lives on in the wild space he looked after for so long.
Alan and Evelyn Beanland
Evelyn and Alan Beanland loved visiting Moorlands nature reserve. They would often take their four grandchildren on adventures here when they were young; exploring through the trees, playing hide and seek and trying to figure out whether the rustling leaves were Grandad throwing stones into the bushes or something coming to catch them!
Their love for Moorlands has been passed down the generations and even after Evelyn died Alan still enjoyed visiting with the rest of the family. When Alan also passed away, the years of fond memories made this the natural place to remember both of them by adding a leaf to the Memory Tree in their honour. Now when the family visit they know that special wild places like this are being protected in their memory so that future generations can explore and discover in every season.
Remembering someone special
We know that marking a loved one’s life, or special anniversary, is a very personal choice. We are honoured when Yorkshire’s wildlife is protected and restored in someone’s memory and we offer a range of different ways to mark such gifts.
If you would like to know more about our in memory gifts, or discuss a different way to remember a loved one please contact us. We will do our best to help with every individual request.
Benches and information boards
At some of our nature reserves we would love to replace or repair the benches and information boards which help people to enjoy their visit.
A gift of £1000 would mean we could repair or replace an existing bench or information board and add a dedication plaque with up to 50 characters (including spaces). The bench or information board will be in place for up to 10 years and after this time the plaque will be returned.
A dedication plaque
Moorlands and Staveley nature reserves each have memory trees in quiet locations for families and friends to remember a loved one. At Potteric Carr nature reserve and at our Living Seas Centre there are dedication walls located on the side of the visitor centres. At these four locations dedication plaques can be added to remember loved ones or a special occasion.
In their quiet and natural surroundings we hope that our memory trees and memory walls are somewhere that families can remember a loved one in peace. For a gift of £250 a leaf can be added to either of our memory trees, a fish at our Living Seas Centre dedication wall or a plaque at our Potteric Carr dedication wall. Each can be personalised with up to 50 characters (including spaces) and will be in place for up to 10 years.
Dedicating a tree
Dedicating a tree is a natural way to mark a memorable occasion in the life of people who are special to you, whatever the occasion.
A dedicated gift of £25 towards our woodland work will help us to continue to look after Yorkshire’s precious trees on our woodland nature reserves. This sometimes means planting new trees but also helps us to look after existing trees, which are often more valuable for wildlife as they mature. You will receive a personalised certificate and gift card which can either be sent to the person giving the gift, or to the person who the gift is dedicated to.
Please note that in order to keep our woods natural, your dedication is not marked in any way; it is a donation to a number of trees in a particular area, rather than one identifiable tree. Your gift will keep growing, and you will be helping to achieve our vision of an enriched natural environment, providing homes for local wildlife and for people to enjoy.
Scattering ashes at our nature reserves
Our nature reserves are special places for wildlife, with some areas receiving special designation and protection.
To ensure we preserve these sites, we must take great care about what we bring onto our nature reserves. Because of this, we are unable to grant permission to families to scatter the ashes of a loved one, as large numbers of people doing this could cause damage to precious habitats.
Contact us
To speak to someone about arranging a dedication or a gift in memory, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Phone: 01904 659570
Email: info@ywt.org.uk
How to donate
By post
To send a gift by post, please send a cheque made payable to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Include your name and address as well as details of the person you are remembering.
Our address is:
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
1 St George’s Place
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust YO24 1GN
By telephone
To make a gift by telephone, using a credit or debit card, please call 01904 659570.
Online
You can make a gift online via our donation form,
Select “in memory of a loved one” next to “I would like my donation to go” and please include the name of the person you are remembering.
(c) James Whitesmith
Leave a gift in your Will
Your gift will help us to protect and enhance the beautiful, wild spaces of Yorkshire.