National legacy award win for Head of Strategic Giving

Cornwall Air Ambulance is delighted to announce that Debbie Henshaw, the charity’s Head of Strategic Giving, has been crowned a national winner at the Smee & Ford Legacy Giving Awards 2025.

Debbie won the Director’s Award for Outstanding Legacy Manager category at the ceremony in London on the 24^th of April.

The annual awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements, talent and dedication within the legacy sector. 21 winners, selected from 103 finalists, were announced with over 300 guests in attendance, bringing together legacy professionals from across the charity sector to recognise and celebrate the significant contribution of legacy income for charities and their beneficiaries.

A leading legacy strategy

The expert judging panel assessed entries based on ambition, excellence and outcome to determine the winners. To be a winner of one of these awards is a mark of real achievement for Debbie and for Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Speaking about her award win, Debbie said: “I am absolutely blown away that I have been announced as a Smee & Ford award winner! Our leading legacy strategy will help Cornwall Air Ambulance to be there for people in their greatest moment of need for generations to come. I am honoured to have made such a huge contribution to the charity that saved my dad’s life. Every legacy will help more patients like him, and I’m so pleased to be part of that.”

Since joining the charity, Debbie has developed and implemented the legacy strategy, seeing year-on-year growth and working tirelessly to shine a light on the lifesaving impact of gifts left in Wills. In her time at Cornwall Air Ambulance, she has brought in over £19million through legacy income with £2.7million generated in 2024 alone.

“You can be very proud of your achievements”

Ashley Rowthorn, Executive Director, Charities, Legacy Futures and Smee & Ford, said: “The Legacy Giving Awards are a heartfelt celebration of the people and organisations shaping the future, one gift at a time. Each legacy—whether headline-grabbing or quietly generous—carries profound meaning and sends a hopeful message across generations. After nearly 20 years in the sector, I’ve witnessed remarkable growth in legacy giving, but the spirit of generosity remains unchanged.

“At these awards we recognise not only outstanding achievements and creativity, but also the powerful human stories behind every legacy. This recognition couldn’t be more timely; at a moment when attracting and retaining talented legacy fundraisers is more difficult than ever, we’re reminded of the vital and rewarding careers this sector offers.

“The unique work of legacy teams has not always been widely understood and appreciated, so we’re delighted that Cornwall Air Ambulance are winners of the Director’s Award for Outstanding Legacy Manager. The work of Debbie has been recognised in an exceptional field of nominees, each showcasing successes and achievements this last year. Well done Cornwall Air Ambulance – you can be very proud of your achievements.”

A gift in a Will is a simple yet meaningful way to ensure Cornwall Air Ambulance can continue its lifesaving work in this generation and the next. You can find out more about leaving a legacy here: https://cornwallairambulancetrust.org/remember-a-charity/

You can make or update your Will here.