Making a will is an important decision which all of us have to at some point consider, and is a great way to try and offer a little security for your friends and family after you have passed on. There is nothing better than to know that you will continue to help the people you love for years to come. However if you decide that you would like to show your passion for both wildlife and our park, a legacy can provide this in a constructive way which goes towards helping us give back to the animals at the park, those in the wild and the local community.
As a non profit organisation all of the money we make and receive goes straight back in to the park, and the amount of work which we constantly carry out here goes a long way towards showing these efforts. Including us or adding us to your will can go a long way and could make all the difference while we continue our efforts, and in return your legacy will be remembered and celebrated as shown below, where we will clear up some of your questions:
Where Does My Gift Go?
The way in which you can give the maximum possible impact with your gift is to leave the money to Wingham Wildlife Park as a whole in which case it is important to include the words “without imposing a binding obligation”. This type of gift leaves us in a position to fit your contribution in with the parts of the park which require the most help. It will never go towards work which will not have a positive impact on conservation and education, nor would it ever leave the park on unrelated business. instead we will use such gifts to improve animal housing and buy enrichment toys to keep them stimulated. Alternatively we may be able to teach people better by improving the signs and displays around the park. Or if the time is right we may even be looking at that time to bring a whole new species to the park.
However we could not and would never wish to tell you how you can leave your money, and if you wanted to leave the money to a specific project or species this would be equally as appreciated as a general gift. However please do keep in mind that if the species mentioned were to have been moved out of the park for any reason, we would then not be able to use your gift.
If you would like any advice on which projects we are working on / thinking about starting up or where our money is most needed, please feel free to have a chat with us at any time.
I Would Like To Support Ex-Situ Conservation, Can You Help?
It may be that you want to help support one of the conservation projects we work with in the wild, but are unsure as to how to go about this. We can help with this and by leaving a gift to use in your will with the stipulation that we use all or part of it to support conservation in the wild on your behalf we would be more than happy to help organise this for you.
How Will My Legacy Be Remembered?
The first and main thing we would like to say is that even though you do not have to do so, we would love to hear from you if you have included us in your will. We appreciate all the help which we receive and would love the opportunity to say thank you before it is too late.
We also think it is important to make sure that people are made aware of the contribution which you have made by leaving your mark on the park. We will include a brass plaque in the park which will be engraved with a message including your name, as a thank you for your contribution. Any such plaques will not be removed from the park at any time, and you will be remembered as long as we are here. if you pledge the gift to a specific project your plaque will be displayed there, otherwise it will be shown as a thank you in the reception area.
Please note that if you would like to keep your contribution confidential you can decide to not have a plaque put up in the park, however if this is the case, please state in the will that you do not wish to have a remembrance plaque displayed in return for your gift and this wish shall be respected.
How do I Go About Making Or Amending My Will?
We cannot help with making or amending your will however please use the link below (which will open a new window or tab) to the Law Society website which has a search facility which allows you to find a solicitor specialising in your particular needs: Law Society Solicitor Search
Is There Anything Else I Need to Include?
To ensure that your gift finds its way to us it is important to include the following information in the wild:
Wingham Wildlife Park
Rusham Road
Wingham
Kent
CT3 1JL
Who Can I Talk To With More Questions?
If you have any further questions about adding us to your will, where the gift will go or anything else which we have not covered a member of staff will be more than happy to help you out. You can either phone the general park reception on 01227 720836 or contact us online. Any queries which you may have will be completely confidential. We know that this is a very important decision and we will do all we can to help you whether you decide to include us in your will or not, we appreciate the thought all the same.
