Editing David Gower (section)

==Later life and interests==
Gower is interested in conservation. In 1989, he joined [[Gerald Durrell]] and his wife Lee, along with [[David Attenborough]], in helping to launch the [[World Land Trust]] (then the World Wide Land Conservation Trust). The initial goal of the trust was to purchase rainforest land in [[Belize]] as part of the Programme for Belize. Gower is also a Patron of the [[David Shepherd (artist)|David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation]], and he is vice-president of the [[Nature in Art]] Trust,.<ref name="NatureInArt">{{cite web|url=http://nature-in-art.org.uk/trust.html|title=Nature in Art – Trust|publisher=Nature in Art Trust|access-date=23 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509223727/http://www.nature-in-art.org.uk/trust.html|archive-date=9 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1992, he was named an Officer of the Most Excellent [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE).  In 1994, he received an [[Honorary degree|Honorary Master of Arts]] award from [[Loughborough University]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=University Honours archive {{!}} Graduation {{!}} Loughborough University |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/students/graduation/honorary-graduates/archive/ |access-date=2024-02-07 |website=lboro.ac.uk}}</ref>

Gower is also a director of an Internet wine company.<ref name="old81">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/the_ashes/1482336.stm|title=The class of '81|publisher=BBC News|access-date=11 March 2009|date=14 August 2001|archive-date=4 April 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030404162728/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/the_ashes/1482336.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Gower and his wife, Thorunn, are Patrons of Southampton-based charity Leukaemia Busters. He was also awarded the "Oldie of the Year" award in 1993 by ''[[The Oldie]]'' magazine.<ref name="oldieoftheyear">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1802157.stm|title=Eric Sykes wins Oldie award|publisher=BBC News|access-date=2 April 2009|date=5 February 2002|archive-date=20 September 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030920164851/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1802157.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.theoldie.co.uk/detail.php?item_id=207&page_id=7&keyword=oldie%20of%20the%20year] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929032858/http://www.theoldie.co.uk/detail.php?item_id=207&page_id=7&keyword=oldie%20of%20the%20year|date=29 September 2011}}</ref> He is the author of a number of written works on cricket, including ''Gower: The Autobiography'' with ''[[The Independent]]'' journalist Martin Johnson in 1992, ''David Gower: With Time to Spare'' with Alan Lee in 1995 and ''Can't Bat, Can't Bowl, Can't Field'' also with Johnson.<ref name="amazon">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=david+gower&x=0&y=0|title=Amazon written works by David Gower|publisher=Amazon|access-date=4 April 2009}}</ref> In 2009, Gower was inducted into the [[ICC Hall of Fame]].<ref name="icchalloffame">{{cite web|url=http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/the-icc/icc_centenary.php|title=ICC Hall of Fame|publisher=ICC|access-date=3 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716004411/http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/the-icc/icc_centenary.php|archive-date=16 July 2009}}</ref>

In August 2014, Gower was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' opposing [[Scottish independence]] in the run-up to September's [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014 |archive-date=17 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817131736/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |url-status=live}}</ref>