Leave a gift in your will
Leaving a gift in your will to Winchester Hospice could be your greatest legacy
So far, your generosity has allowed us to make a positive impact on the lives of so many individuals and their families across our local community. Funds raised by you have enabled the creation and upkeep of Winchester Hospice, where our skilled staff provide palliative and end of life care to those with life-limiting illness in the right place, at the right time.
Why should I leave a gift to Winchester Hospice?
We want to make sure that our community can access our specialist, compassionate care both now and in the future, and we need your support to do that.
No one should ever have to face a life-limiting illness alone. This is why Winchester Hospice is here. Thanks to our talented team, it is a place of compassion, understanding, warmth and support at the most difficult time – a place where our skilled staff are caring not only for our patients, but their families, friends, carers and children too. With your help, we can ensure that this vital service is maintained and continually improved for generations to come.
When you leave a gift to Winchester Hospice, you’re leaving a lasting gift to your community. A gift that will help our team to continue supporting patients to live a life as full as possible, at times when it matters most.
Why is it important for me to write a will?
A will makes it much easier for your family or friends to carry out your wishes. Without a will, this process may be more complex and your assets will be shared out in a standard way defined by the law – this may not always be in the way you had hoped.
If you have children or family who depend on you financially or want to leave something to people outside your immediate family, a will allows you to ensure they receive exactly what you want.
A will can help reduce the amount of inheritance tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind.
By leaving a gift in your will, you’ll be helping to ensure that our specialist staff will be there for those with life-limiting illness in the right place, at the right time.
Of course, you might have questions. That’s why we’ve put together a bank of our frequently asked questions to help you decide what’s right for you:
-
Whether you are writing your will for the first time, or adding a gift to Winchester Hospice in your existing will, you will need to include our name, address and registered charity number.
• Name: Winchester Hospice Fundraising Charity
• Address: Fundraising office, Ashley Wing, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DG
• Registered charity number: 1180948
Any gifts left to other charities will not support the work of Winchester Hospice or directly benefit people across Winchester in accessing our palliative and end of life care services.
-
There are three types of gift or ‘legacy’ you can leave to us:
• Residuary legacy – a gift of the remainder of your estate, or a percentage, after all other legacies and any debts cleared. Residuary legacies keep pace with inflation and are an effective way to divide the value of an estate between a number of people and causes.
• Pecuniary legacy – Leaving a fixed sum of money in your will. It is worth noting pecuniary gifts can devalue over time due to inflation, so it is worth reviewing your will regularly.
• Specific legacy – You can choose to leave property or specific items in your will such as art, jewellery, furniture or stocks and shares.
-
Many people put off writing their Will as they expect it to be complicated. However, it is relatively simple and a legal adviser can guide you through the process.
You can write your own will or ask a legal advisor such as a solicitor or will writing service to draft it for you. Asking a legal advisor will mean that you have somebody else who can answer your questions, provide advice and know the correct legal wording to use.
Before you begin, you will need to:
• Make a list of everything you own – including property, money, shares, investments, life insurance policies, and all your valuables and possessions
• Work out the value of these assets
• Decide who should benefit from your estate, e.g. family, friends, charities
• Decide who to appoint as your executor(s), i.e. the people who will administer your estate
-
That's up to you. Of course, we'd be delighted to hear from you, but it is your choice whether you let us know or not.
To let us know about a gift, please call us on 01962 828353 or email us at winchester.hospice@hhft.nhs.uk. Any information you give us will be kept in strict confidence and you can change your mind at any time.
-
Making a will is the best way to ensure that your wishes are carried out after your death and your property, money and possessions go to the people and organisations that matter to you.
Any amount of money or percentage that is gifted to Winchester Hospice in your will will make an impact, and contribute to us being able to continue delivering specialist services to our community. These gifts are inflation proof and usually exempt from inheritance tax. People often find they can afford to be more generous in a will than in their lifetime.
No matter the size or amount, your gift will contribute to supporting local people in the last years, months or days of their life.
-
Most gifts you leave to Winchester Hospice are exempt from tax. We usually receive the full amount. Your gift may also bring the total value of your estate below the inheritance tax threshold. We recommend you talk to a solicitor for more details on tax exemptions and benefits.
-
We understand that you may want to leave a gift to a particular service close to your heart and you're entitled to do this. However, we encourage gifts left to us to be unrestricted. With an unrestricted gift, we are then able to utilise your funds to support where needs it most within the hospice.
-
Yes you can. A will is a very personal document that reflects your final wishes and how you want to leave a lasting impact on the world. You are free to change your mind at any time.