Support Us – Vinters Valley Nature Reserve

We need YOUR support

Vinters Valley Nature Reserve is NOT run by any council, but by a group of dedicated local volunteers, who have formed a registered charity called the “Vinters Valley Park Trust”. To keep the nature reserve open, as a space for the whole community to enjoy we need your money

If you would like to become a friend or adopt one of our trees, bird boxes or bat boxes, please click here to download our Friends Donation Form. Please complete the form and return to the address details provided on the form. The online form allows you to type into it and print it.

You can financially support the nature reserve in a number of ways:

Become a Vinters Valley Wildlife Friend for £28 per year

You will receive invites to our events in advance before they are advertised to everyone. This also includes a discount on any event prices
A newsletter twice a year (by email), with information, photos and articles about the reserve and projects.

Become a Vinters Valley K9 Friend for £69 per year

You will receive invites to our events in advance before they are advertised to everyone. This also includes a discount on any event prices
A newsletter twice a year (by email), with information, photos and articles about the reserve and projects
A dog tag, to place on your dog(s) collar, to show you are one of our K9 friends and supporters

Adopt one of our Bird Boxes for £20 per year

You will receive (if you agree, by email) weekly updates on your bird box, during the nesting season (April – June)
An adoption pack, containing details on your box, a location map and adoption certificate
Help us feed the birds during the colder months at our bird feeding stations
You will also receive invites to our events in advance before they are advertised to everyone. This also includes a discount on any event prices
A newsletter twice a year (by email), with information, photos and articles about the reserve and projects.

Adopt one of our Bat Boxes or Trees for £20 per year

You will receive a information pack, including a location map and adoption certificate
You will also receive invites to our events in advance before they are advertised to everyone. This also includes a discount on any event prices
A newsletter twice a year (by email), with information, photos and articles about the reserve and projects.

Become a lifetime member for £420

You will receive invites to our events in advance before they are advertised to everyone. This also includes a discount on any event prices
A newsletter twice a year (by email), with information, photos and articles about the reserve and projects.

Leave a gift in your Will

If you are considering leaving Vinters Valley Park Trust CIO (as Trustee of the Vinters Valley Nature Reserve) a gift in your will, it’s very easy.

All you need to do is give the following details to whoever is preparing your Will.

Vinters Valley Park Trust CIO
Vinters Lodge
Lodge Road
Maidstone ME14 5EH
Registered charity number 1169118

If you already have a will and now wish to include a gift to us, it’s quite simple to create a codicil which can be stored with your will. A codicil is read alongside your will and allows you to make changes to your will without the need to rewrite it.

We recommend that you contact a professional for help in preparing your will. There are places you can look to for assistance. You can find an overview on the government website GOV.UK – Making a Will. Citizens Advice also has information online, or you can go to your nearest Citizens Advice office. The Law Society has a list of solicitors in your area who are able to help.

There are two ways you can leave us a gift in your Will

A share of your estate: this is a percentage of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid. A percentage share of your estate will maintain its value or increase over time, and it also means you are less likely to need to amend it in the future. Of course, those closest to you must come first, but just 1% can have a big impact on our work.
A specific sum: this is a gift of a set amount of money.

You are not obliged to let us know if you have mentioned Vinters Valley Park Trust in your will. If you do decide to tell us, we will not contact you further unless you wish us to do so. You can let us know that you have mentioned us in your Will by emailing vintersp@yahoo.co.uk, or writing to the Treasurer at the address above.

Why do we need your money?

Your financial support helps to both protect wildlife in Maidstone and allows local people the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of nature in a pleasant environment. For so many families and local schools we are the easily accessible ‘gateway to nature’.

Since 1991, Vinters Valley Nature Reserve has been protected by the community, as a nature reserve. We want it to remain protected for many generations to come. By including us in your will, you will be providing a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. You can make a difference.

What do we do with your money?

All the money we receive is spent directly on the nature reserve, either to make safe home for nature to thrive, or to ensure visitors can have access to and engage with nature.

It is often helpful, if you chose to leave us money in your will, if you could indicate any areas or interests in nature, you have e.g. a love of trees, wildflowers or birds, or maybe you are thinking of the younger generation e.g. ‘for children to discover nature’. With your guidance, we can then ensure we reflect your kindness in the most appropriate way.

Vinters Valley Nature Reserve is a local nature reserve, where we are trying to make a difference and provide a home for wildlife and a future for humanity. Since 1991 we have witnessed that hope for the future begins with small acts of kindness, often at a local scale. People living in the local community help create the nature reserve and we believe that it is local people who will help ensure its future.