Charities - environment and heritage

BTCV works for a better environment where people are valued, included and involved.

CPRE is one of the country’s leading independent environmental groups. Established in 1926, it plays a unique role in defending the whole of England’s countryside, not simply particular features or elements in it. And it actually does win battles, influencing policy, getting legislation changed and fighting off damaging schemes. Funded almost entirely by donations and legacies, CPRE protects England’s landscape inheritance and fights for a beautiful and living countryside for all.

Please help us to save the beauty of our unique British Countryside for future generations.

English Heritage is proud to care for the national collection of historic places and the treasures they contain. Over 400 historic sites are open for the public to enjoy, many of them free of charge. They include:
59 prehistoric sites • 56 Roman sites • 90 ecclesiastical sites • 116 castles and forts 34 domestic medieval buildings • 32 houses and halls • 11 monuments • 6 industrial sites • 6 historic bridges • 1 cold war bunker • 1 deer house • 45 London statues

Formed in 1934 Friends of the Lake District works to protect and enhance the special qualities of the landscape of the Lake District and Cumbria. This landscape is a unique blend of physical and cultural characteristics. There are spectacular mountains and rugged fells, pastoral and wooded valleys as well as numerous lakes, tarns and rivers, many of which are of national and international importance. The character of the area is reflected in its human history, inspiring the personalities, lifestyles and traditions of its people. Moreover the area's distinctiveness provides an important sense of place for local communities, who, along with many others, enjoy the freedom and tranquillity which the long tradition of public access has provided.

There are two Greenpeace organisations in the UK: Greenpeace Limited and Greenpeace Environmental Trust (registered charity number 284934).
Greenpeace Limited campaigns, lobbies and carries out non-violent direct actions in defence of the natural world. We work on issues ranging from climate change to oceans and promote solutions to environmental problems. A bequest to Greenpeace Limited will help to keep our campaigners in action on land and sea.

Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) works to protect wildlife. The charity manages a combined area the size of 1,000 football pitches, from beautiful wetlands and woodlands to rare patches of heath and orchard. We take practical action every day to help wildlife flourish, through the management of our 44 nature reserves and the protection of the species that live there.

Leaving Something Good Behind
When you write a Will as well as protecting your loved ones you can also help preserve the future of steam trains on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. We realise it can be a sensitive and difficult task but we understand determining what gift is right for you is just as important as making the gift itself.

The National Churches Trust breathes life into church buildings and the communities they serve. The Trust provides funding and practical long term solutions to the building work, access and community needs of the 47,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses in the UK, regardless of denomination or setting – rural or urban.

Founded in 1895, the National Trust looks after special places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for ever, for everyone. We are Europe’s biggest conservation body and a charity that is completely independent of Government, receiving no direct state funding for our core work. We rely for income on membership fees, donations and legacies, and revenue raised from our commercial operations.

Plant Heritage, founded in 1978, is the world's leading cultivated plant conservation charity. Over the centuries countless garden plants have been developed by British collectors & growers. This biodiversity, the legacy of their work, is at risk now through changes in fashion and the retirement of growers; yet it may hold the key to new pharmaceutical drugs, drought resistant plants and other characteristics vital for the future. By ensuring these plants remain in cultivation and actively propagated and shared, through the work of our National Plant Collection Scheme, we can make sure that this biodiversity is protected.

Plants are the basis of all life on earth, yet a quarter of all plant species may be threatened with extinction. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the world’s premier botanic garden, is dedicated to securing the future of the plant kingdom.

The Wildlife Trusts: Your Local Wildlife Charity

The Silvanus Trust, a woodland charity, has been involved in forestry and woodland in the South West for over twenty five years. We embrace a holistic view of forestry and work extensively in education, social forestry, environmental woodland management and the forestry and timber industries, seeking always to foster the links between people and woodlands and woodland products.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary organisation devoted to nature conservation in Sussex. With more than 33,000 members, the Trust owns or manages nearly 5,000 acres of land in 33 nature reserves.

At the Ri, we’re dedicated to bringing science and people together. Since 1799 we have made groundbreaking discoveries, created unique educational opportunities and run diverse public events to celebrate and communicate science, technology and innovation. We aim to empower the public and inspire future generations of engineers, mathematicians and scientists by getting people talking and participating in science.

The Transport Trust, founded in 1965, is the United Kingdom’s only national charity established to help fund the restoration and preservation of Britain’s air, water, rail and road transport, and to preserve records of transport history.

Tusk Trust, whose Royal Patron is HRH The Duke of Cambridge, was established in 1990 to stem the decline of Africa’s wildlife and natural habitats. The Charity supports projects that not only protect endangered species, but also seek to alleviate poverty through sustainable development amongst some of the poorest rural communities in Africa.

War Memorials Trust works to protect and conserve all war memorials in the UK. The charity provides information and advice on a range of issues related to war memorials and offers financial assistance through grants schemes for repair and conservation.

The Yorkshire Dales has a unique and precious landscape, enjoyed by millions of visitors every year. But it is a landscape that needs our constant care.