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Whether you have made a will already or are in the process of making a will for the first time, including a legacy to Self Help Africa is straightforward. |
The information below is intended to provide you with guidance. To ensure your wishes are carried out we recommend that you consult a legal professional when making or amending your will.
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| Can I make or amend a will myself? |
Making or amending a will is really important – it is the only way to be absolutely certain that your money and your belongings go to the people and causes you care about. It isn't advisable to make your own, as even a small mistake could result in the will being invalid.
The best way to make or amend a will is through a solicitor, accountant or Independent Financial Advisor, who should ideally be a member of STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners - www.step.org) or be a chartered tax adviser. Seeking expert advice should help you minimise the portion of your estate that is paid as Inheritance Tax.
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In England and Wales contact the Law Society for details of a firm near you - visit www.lawsociety.org.uk, or call 020 7242 1222. In Scotland contact the Law Society of Scotland - visit www.lawscot.org.uk, or call 0131 226 7411.
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| What type of gift can I leave? |
There are two main types of gift you can leave to a charity like Self Help Africa. Your legal professional will be able to advise you further. |
A residuary legacy is the whole or a percentage of what remains of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid. Residuary legacies are very important to us because they are expressed as a fraction of your estate rather than a cash sum. Therefore they usually maintain their value or increase over time. |
A pecuniary legacy is a gift of a fixed amount of money. The value of this legacy may fall through the effects of inflation. |
How can I include Self Help Africa in an existing will? |
If you have already made a will there are two legally valid ways for your legal professional to add a clause to include Self Help Africa: |
By codicil |
A codicil is a separate document on which changes and/or additions can be made to an existing will. If the change to your will is quite small or simple – like adding a pecuniary gift - your solicitor should be able to add a codicil.
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| By making a new will and revoking the old one |
If you want to include a residuary legacy, or make a big change, it may be easier for your solicitor to draft a new will, rather than add a codicil.
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| What information will my solicitor need? |
Whether you are making your first will, or amending an existing one, the very least you will need to supply your legal professional with is our registered name, address and charity number:
Self Help Africa
Second Floor Westgate House
Dickens Court, Hills Lane
Shrewsbury, SY1 1QU
Registered UK charity number 298830
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It may also be useful to print these suggested clause wordings to take with you:
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You might like to read the Law Society's guidance on making a will: |
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