“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.”
This Free Wills Month, solicitors in your area are offering a free will writing service.
Every year, over £3bn in donations are left to charities across the UK through legacies. These gifts are like gold dust and help make charities, like Venture Scotland, more sustainable for the future. If you’re considering leaving a gift to us in your will, we want you to know that your support will leave a lasting legacy for young people in Scotland. Your generosity will enable us to continue to help young people find their place within themselves, their community and the world around them and find hope for their future.
First Steps When Making A Will
Making things easy for the ones we love is always a priority. When someone dies without a will, it can create many problems for those left behind, at an already difficult time, and often results in long, costly delays in administering your affairs. Creating a will ensures that your wishes are carried out smoothly and that the people, interests and organisations close to your heart are honoured.
Here are some tips to help you make your Will:
- Write a list – Write down who you’d like to include in your will, such as family, friends and any charities that are meaningful to you.
- Visit a solicitor – It’s easy to leave a gift in your will, as well as to update an existing will to include a legacy. It’s best to visit a solicitor to discuss your decision and to make sure your wishes aren’t misunderstood. Many solicitors offer a free advice and a free simple will-writing service.
- Think about how much you’d like to give – You don’t have to be wealthy to leave a legacy. Whether a donation is big or small, any support will make a difference to the lives of young people in Scotland. A legacy gift is like no other donation and can have a lasting impact on a charity’s future.
Types Of Gift
Your solicitor will be able to advise you on the different kinds of gifts you can leave in your will. The three main gifts are:
- Pecuniary gifts are specified sums of money. If you would like a gift of money to keep its value over the years, it’s a sensible idea to ask your solicitor to index-link it.
- Residuary gifts are made from whatever is left over once gifts of money and specific items have been distributed. You can give the whole of the ‘residue’ to a person or a charity like Venture Scotland, or a portion of it.
- Specific gifts can be anything like a painting, a house or a canoe!
If you decide to leave a gift in your will, we promise to:
- Answer any questions sensitively, honestly and quickly.
- Use your gift wisely and effectively.
- If you want your gift to be spent in an area that’s special to you, we can arrange that.
- We won’t put you under any pressure – we know this is a big decision.
- You can change your mind at any time.
Get In Touch
You don’t have to tell us if you’ve chosen to support Venture Scotland in your will, but we would love to know! We want to thank you and share more about the impact your generosity has on the lives of young people in Scotland.
If you’d like to talk to us about a legacy, please email fundraising@venturescotland.org.uk or call 07956 158 281 and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
You can also find out more about making a will on the UK Government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/make-will
Leaving a legacy is a truly lifechanging gift. By leaving a legacy to Venture Scotland, you are planting seeds of hope that will change the lives of future generations of young people.
Thank you