Leave a Gift in Your Will
A legacy gift can help ensure local families continue receiving specialist hospice care for years to come.
A Lasting Gift
The work of Dove Cottage Day Hospice relies on the generosity of people who believe their giving can make a difference - if not in life, then in death, to those who are suffering now.
By making a will, you can ensure that your wishes, and the people and causes you care about, are provided for.
What Exactly Is a Legacy?
A legacy is a gift that you choose to pass on to someone after you have died. It can be either a physical item or an amount of money. The details of the legacy should be stated in your will.
Types of Legacy
There are several types of legacy and any solicitor will advise you on what type of legacy would be suitable for your circumstances. You do not have to be rich to make an affordable gift and it can reduce any inheritance tax liability for your family.
- A residual legacy, in which the rest of your estate, after debts and expenses have been paid, is left either in entirety or shared among named beneficiaries.
- A specific cash sum, often linked to inflation.
- An item of property, such as a house, shares, or a piece of jewellery.
Why Leave a Legacy to Dove Cottage Day Hospice?
Leaving a legacy in your will is one of the best ways of ensuring that we can continue our valuable work. It costs around GBP 740,000 a year to keep our hospice services running, and a massive 96% of this is funded through donations from the community.
Making a Will
For the sake of your dependents and to ensure that your wishes are met regarding your estate, it is important for everyone to make a will. It is easy to incorporate a legacy in this process if you choose to do so.
Free Will Service
We have partnered with FreeWills to give you the opportunity to make your fully comprehensive, legally-binding will for free.
You can make your personalised will online in three simple steps, from the comfort of your own home, with added reassurance that your will is checked, vetted, and approved by a solicitor.
This service is available to anyone, and you are under no obligation to leave a gift to us if you use it.
If you do choose to leave a gift, a legacy of any size can help ensure we continue to support local families living with life-limiting conditions.
Codicils
If you have already made a will and now wish to consider leaving a legacy, then it is possible to add a codicil, which is a new clause to your original will.
Codicils can be added to an existing will for minor changes. These must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the will, but the witnesses need not be the same as for the original will. The codicil should then be kept with your existing will.
If anything substantial needs to be changed, you should make a new will revoking the former one. Never make alterations on the original document: either add a codicil or make a new will. We always recommend using a qualified solicitor when making changes to your will.