Some frequently asked questions about gifts in Wills

A Will is a legal document that sets out what happens to your your money, property and/or possessions (known as your estate) after your death. If you die without making a Will (known as intestate), certain rules dictate how and to who your estate will be allocated which may not reflect your wishes. Making a Will helps

ensure your estate goes to the people or causes you care about.

• A percentage or share of your estate. This could be 1% or 100% depending on your wishes and circumstances. This is known as a residuary gift.
• A sum of money - for example, £100 or £10,000. There is no minimum amount you can leave - every penny makes a difference. This is known as a pecuniary gift.
• A particular gift which could be anything from jewellery or antiques, to stocks and shares – any of which can be sold to fund ellenor’s vital work. This is known as a specific gift.

It’s entirely up to you who you leave a gift to in your Will. We understand family and friends come first, but hope you will also consider leaving a gift to ellenor if that is right for you.

Absolutely - anyone can leave a gift of any size to ellenor. Whether big or small, all of the legacies we receive make a difference and we are hugely grateful for each one we receive.

The type of gift you choose to leave will depend on your preference and financial situation so it’s really about whatever is best for you. However, you may find it helpful to know that residuary gifts hold more value over time than pecuniary gifts. (In other words, a percentage or share of your estate is not affected by inflation rates, unlike a gift of a fixed sum of £1,000 which will be worth less in the future as the value will deplete).

Leaving a gift in your Will to ellenor in honour of someone special, can be a really precious way to celebrate their life. We can also help you combine your legacy gift with other ways to remember them such as an engraved leaf on our Memory Tree, dedicated Tribute Page or attendance at our Lights Of Love event.

We strongly suggest working with a professional when making or amending your Will. For information on this visit - www.gov.uk/make-will 

• You can find a local Solicitor via the Law Society website at Find a Solicitor - The Law Society or by calling 020 7242 1222.  

• ellenor have also partnered with Squiggle, a Will writing service. Through the service, ellenor supporters can have a basic Will written with the option to make a one-off donation to ellenor in lieu of the usual fee, as well as receive details of how they could leave a gift in their Will to ellenor, although there is no obligation to do so. (This offer is currently available for ellenor supporters who live in England, Wales & Scotland). To find out more visit www.squiggleconsult.co.uk or to book an appointment - meet.squiggleconsult.co.uk

Your solicitor or Will writing professional can advise you on suitable wording to use. Our suggested wording is:  

‘I give to ellenor, …… % of my estate / the sum of £……………….. / the following item(s) ……………………………….<to be amended as appropriate>  to be used for its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised Officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge for my Executors.’  

• As well as stating what gift you would like to leave ellenor, you will need to include our registered name, address and charity number which are -  

Registered name: ellenor, Charity number: 1121561 (United Kingdom), 

Address: ellenor, Coldharbour Road, Gravesend, Kent. DA11 7HQ  

• If you would like to amend an existing Will to include a sum of money or specific gift to ellenor, you may be able to use a separate document that sits alongside your Will (known as a Codicil). However, if you wish to leave a share of your estate, it is strongly recommended that you redo your Will to avoid any complications. Again, your solicitor or Will writing professional can advise on which works best for your circumstances.