Leaving a gift in your Will FAQs
Here are answers to some of the things we are most often asked about gifts in Wills. If you have further questions, or would prefer to speak to a member of our team, please feel free to call us on 020 7222 0605 between 9-5 Monday to Friday. Thank you.
A member of our team is always on hand to help with any enquiries you may have.
Please feel free to contact our Chief Executive, Claire Walker in confidence and with no obligation during office hours.
We will do our best to answer your questions, but for all legal advice we recommend that you consult a solicitor.
If you have already made your Will and wish to change any part of it you need to add a codicil. This is a form that is added into your Will and reflects any changes to your circumstances. Please do refer to our codicil form and guidance notes.
We are grateful for all the gifts we receive - whatever the size. In 2021 our voluntary income from legacies was £159,000. The total was made up of many gifts, both large and small. Every gift is valuable and will make a difference to the number of churches we can help.
You can leave a residuary legacy. This is a percentage sum of your estate, so after all individual gifts have been allocated the remainder of your assets can be divided up on this basis. The benefit of residuary legacies is that the value is not affected by inflation as there is no fixed sum. As the value of your estate increases, so will the value of your legacy.
If this is what you would like to do the following wording might be helpful: “I give all (or a .....% share) of the residue of my estate to the National Churches Trust of 7 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB, registered charity number 1119845.”
Your Will provides your opportunity to decide who you would like to receive your assets and possessions after you have gone. In order to write a Will we suggest you contact a local solicitor who can draw up your Will and ensure that there will be no complications. The Law Society’s website can help you to locate a solicitor in your area if you need help:
England - www.lawsociety.org.uk
Scotland - lawscot.org.uk
Northern Ireland - lawsoc-ni-org
We understand that sometimes circumstances may change and you may want to take the National Churches Trust out of your Will. We will always respect your decision if you do change your mind.
Your solicitor will help you with the wording. This should include our charity name, office address and our registered charity numbers.
National Churches Trust, 7 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QB. Registered charity number 1119845.
The charity always prefers legacies with no conditions, because our Grants Committee chooses those churches most in need. If a church closes, it can become difficult to accept a bequest in a Will. But, of course, it’s up to you. Sometimes a legacy might be left for listed churches, or churches in one of the four nations.
When churches need to raise money for major repairs or adding a community cafe they can rarely raise all the funds locally. Through our national grants committee we can direct legacy income to where it is most needed – we are a national resource locally delivered.
You can read about how gifts in Wills have helped fund our work in our Friends Newsletters and our Annual Review.
If you have decided to support us, we would be grateful if you could let us know. Not only does this allow us to thank you in your lifetime but it helps us to plan our work with confidence. As a small charity we like to connect with our supporters, and would be delighted to invite you to see our work in action on exclusive church tours and special events.
Please contact our Chief Executive, Claire Walker in confidence and with no obligation during office hours.
Our pledge to you
If you decide to leave a gift in your Will to the National Churches Trust, we will promise that:
- We will hold any information about yourself and your gift to us in strict confidentially and will never disclose this information to others.
- We will spend your gift wisely to help achieve the objectives of the National Churches Trust. You can rest assured every penny will be spent helping to look after churches and chapels.
- We will honour any instructions should you specify how your gift is to be spent.
- We will treat you and your family with respect and sensitivity at all times.
- We will never pressurize you into making a decision about leaving a gift in your Will and you can change your mind at any time.
- We will respect your decision should you decide not to let us know that you have left a gift.
- We will always be available for you to talk to about your decision, even when you have decided to leave a gift. We understand that circumstances may change and that you may need to talk to us at any time.