Home ❯ Get involved ❯ Donations and membership ❯ Leave a gift in your will ❯ The importance of leaving a gift in your will: Margaret’s story

The importance of leaving a gift in your will: Margaret’s story

A woman stood outside an historic home in the countryside

Margaret: 'The whole care of the countryside, are we loving it enough? Are we doing the right thing for it?'

Margaret, a farmer’s daughter, was brought up in Oldham and now lives in London. Her enjoyment of the countryside – visiting gardens, country houses, and historic villages – is clear to see. Having been a supporter of CPRE for over 20 years, Margaret has recently made the very special decision to leave a gift to CPRE in her will.

Why did you decide to leave a gift in your will to CPRE?

‘Well, I suppose the main reason is that I’m a farmer’s daughter, so the farming community is very important to me and I care about the countryside.

‘My family’s farmland was taken and built on in the 1960s, but I do love visiting the countryside. I think it’s very, very important that we have the countryside to walk in and that we maintain our pretty villages, with their incredible histories and churches which are little capsules of history. And it’s very important it’s all kept in good order.

‘I was brought up in Oldham and when I was young, the mills were still flourishing and so it was so important that with all that pollution and industry around you that you get into the countryside, to breathe fresh air and to enjoy looking round such wonderful countryside and such variety and we should cherish it more.’

What prompted your support of CPRE?

‘For a long time, I’ve been more and more worried about building in the countryside, unsympathetic building and land being taken away from farmers. I think it was the whole care of the countryside, are we loving it enough? Are we doing the right thing for it?’

What would you say to others who might be planning for their future and thinking about leaving a gift in their will to CPRE?

‘Well just that were such a built-up country, it’s important that we keep these wonderful green spaces so that we can enjoy them as well as the people who live and farm in them. We have such an important role to look after the planet for young generations and we need to take it more seriously.’