Thank you for considering leaving a gift to the National Biodiversity Network Trust in your will and helping to preserve our biodiversity heritage. Any gift, no matter how large or how small, is important to us. Whatever you give, you really can make a difference by helping us preserve our knowledge of the UK’s wildlife for the future.

How to help

Including NBN Trust in your will is a straightforward and easy way to support us. The simplest method is to include NBN Trust in your will when it is first drawn up. However, if you already have a will it can be amended by the addition of a ‘Codicil’. We strongly suggest that you seek advice from your legal advisor about how to do this.

There are 3 main types of gift you can make:

Residuary – 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 your will in the future.

Pecuniary – a specific sum of money

A specific item – This could be something valuable such as an antique, painting, property or shares that we would sell.

The advantage of leaving a share (also known as a residuary gift) is that it stays the same over time and you won’t need to change your will to keep up with inflation.

If you have already made your will

If you already have a will and simply wish to add a gift to the NBN Trust you can make a codicil and store it with your will. A codicil is a supplement to a will which makes some alterations but leaves the rest of it intact. This might be done, for example, to increase a cash legacy, change an executor or guardian named in a will, or to add beneficiaries.

A codicil must be signed by the person who made the will and be witnessed in the same way. However, the witnesses do not have to be the same as for the original will.

There is no limit on how many codicils can be added to a will, but they are only suitable for very straightforward changes. If a complicated change is involved, it is usually advisable to make a new will.

Suggested wording for making your gift to NBN Trust

This suggested legal wording will assist your solicitor in drawing up or amending your will to include your gift to help our vital work.

Wording for a residuary gift

I give the residue of my estate to National Biodiversity Network Trust, 27 Old Gloucester Street, Holborn, London WC1N 3AX (Registered Charity Number 1082163) for its general charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive or other proper officer of the said charity for the time being shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the said gift.

Wording for a gift of money or an item

I give the sum of £_____ (or the item specified) to National Biodiversity Network Trust, 27 Old Gloucester Street, Holborn, London WC1N 3AX (Registered Charity Number 1082163) for its general charitable purposes. I further direct that the receipt of the Chief Executive or other proper officer of the said charity for the time being shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the said gift.

We can’t recommend a particular solicitor to make your will but we suggest you contact the Law Society who can provide details of solicitors in your area, including those who specialise in wills. We always recommend that your will is drafted by a qualified professional such as a solicitor as their businesses are regulated by law.

Useful resources