Leave a Legacy

Leave a Legacy

Leaving a legacy in your Will or making a donation in memory of someone you love will help to enable future generations to share your joy in discovering and experiencing the natural world.

Members and friends of the Society have been donating money, books and collections for almost 200 years.

The former Hancock museum, owned by the Society, and our collections and library are at the heart of the Great North Museum which is accessible to the public free of charge.

We are constantly seeking new ways to stimulate interest in natural history, and your gift will help us to do this.

Facts about legacies

We are a charity and any legacy will be free of inheritance tax. There are a number of ways to leave money in your Will which include:
  • Where you leave something to the Society from the remainder of your estate after gifts to family and friends, or
  • Where you leave a specified amount of money, which can be inflation linked if you wish.

If you do decide to give a legacy please add our charity number (526770).

If you are thinking of leaving a legacy we strongly advise that you speak to your solicitor, or we will be pleased to discuss the matter with you.

Where your legacy can help

Your gift can support the Society in many ways including:
  • Helping our plans for outreach to children, young people and students
  • Supporting research on species and habitats in our region
  • Providing accessible education including field studies, natural history courses, and indoor lectures
  • Adding to and supporting study of our scientifically important archives, collections and library
  • Raising awareness of natural history in the North East of England through our presence at events and festivals across the region.
  • Improving Gosforth Park Nature Reserve for wildlife and visitors.

Want to Volunteer?

We rely heavily on volunteers, who generously share their time and knowledge with us.

There are many opportunities to help, from conservation work on our nature reserve, to events, fundraising and administration support, to cataloguing our archive collection. Meet new people, learn new skills and help to conserve nature and educate others.

More 'VOLUNTEER' »