The importance of making a will
One in five people die in the UK without having made a will. Having a
will offers you the peace of mind of knowing your loved ones are protected
from unnecessary, complicated legal or financial issues in the event of your
death. Making a will and keeping it up to date is the only way of ensuring
that whatever you have - no matter how much or how little - goes to the
people and causes that are important to you. Leaving a gift in your will
Including Mind in Taunton & West Somerset in your will (sometimes called
leaving a legacy) is an easy and cost effective to support our work. A
charity legacy is exempt from inheritance tax and as such is probably one of
the most tax effective ways of giving. If you don't already have a will
If you are making a will for the first time it is simple to include a
short paragraph detailing a gift to charity. There are several types of
charity legacy you can leave in a will:
- A residuary gift – this is the remainder (or a share of) your estate
after expenses and other gifts have been deducted
- A pecuniary gift – a fixed sum of money
- A specific gift – this is a specific item, such as a house or
painting
To make a will, it is a good idea to seek professional advice from a
solicitor or legal advisor. If you don't have a solicitor, ask a friend,
family member or bank manager to recommend one. Keeping your will up
to date
It is very important to keep your will up to date otherwise it may
not reflect your wishes at the time of your death. At a time of great
sorrow, this can cause extra heartache for friends and family. When
your circumstances change it is important to update your will
accordingly. If you already have a will but would like to make a legacy
gift to Mind in Taunton and West Somerset you can make an addition.
Speak to your solicitor about any changes you want to make - they can
attach a written instruction to your existing will, called a codicil. Do
not try and make changes yourself as you may invalidate your will. But
I don't have enough money to leave anything in my will...
It is a
common misconception that a legacy has to be a huge sum of money. This
is not the case. Any amount of money you can leave - big or small - will
make a valuable contribution to our work. How you can make a
difference
Mind in Taunton and West Somerset works across the county supporting
people in emotional distress. We help over 2,000 people every year by:
- Enabling people with mental health problems to enjoy fulfilling
lives and to aid them on their recovery journey. We provide drop
ins, group work and one-to-one support.
- Providing confidential out of hours telephone support for people
in crisis and for their carers.
- Helping people in isolated communities to access the services
they need.
- Providing volunteering opportunities for service users and
survivors wanting to learn new skills and take on new challenges.
- But we cannot do this without your help. Please support Mind in
Taunton and West Somerset.
Please let us know
If you are planning to leave a gift in your will to Mind in
Taunton and West Somerset, it would really help us to know. Email
suzanneg@mindtws.org.uk if you
would like to contact us about any of the above.
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