Rob, my wonderful partner of nine years, passed away on 29th September 2019 at the age of 31 from complications caused by a brain tumour. Rob was young, fit, strong and active, which made his passing not only tragic, but extremely shocking.

In his life Rob was popular, sociable, quick witted and gregarious. At the same time he was one of the most generous and compassionate people I have ever known. He had a great appreciation for nature, taking photos of landscapes and wildlife, as well as hiking in the mountains of Portugal and Britain. He was deeply concerned about the environment and was planning on volunteering with, and donating to an environmental charity when we finally moved back to the UK from our home in Portugal.

After some research, his family and I have decided to fundraise for the Woodland Trust in Rob's name. The charity brings together many aspects of environmental action that we know Rob would have supported, such as advocacy, tree planting, wildlife protection and education. Our planet is under threat from rising temperatures due to green house gas emissions, but one effective way of tackling this crisis is through protecting our forests and planting more trees to help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. 

In this current age, it is easy to feel helpless in the face of impending climate crisis. But Rob was someone who never gave up and continued to hope for a better future. I know this because of how he was, even at the very end of his life. Rob would want us to take action, and do something to mitigate this great challenge to our environment and wildlife. By acting in his name, together we can ensure that he will live on and continue to have an impact in the world he cared so much about.

Part of the funds raised will be used to dedicate an area of woodland in Yorkshire to Rob, and we hope this will not only be a way of protecting our natural environment but also creating a space where his family and friends can go when they want to spend some time close to him. 

We hope you will join us in commemorating Rob through working towards securing a better, safer future for our woodlands and our planet.