Giving a gift in your will
Have you considered leaving a gift to ellenor in your Will?
Leaving a gift can help us continue to deliver compassionate, high-quality care and support to every patient and family who needs us.
From the beginning of our journey nearly 40 years ago, ellenor have been working to ensure local people with a life limiting illness, experience only the best care and support. As we look to the future, we want to go on providing excellent services to the community but to do that we need your help.
On average 15% of the services we provide are funded by gifts that were left to us in the Wills of generous supporters – an amazing gesture of support for which we are incredibly grateful.
But the number of people in our community is growing and with it, the demand for our services is also increasing. Knowing we have money coming to us from gifts in Wills however, even if we’re not sure exactly when we will receive it, helps ensure we can plan ahead to meet this increased need.
By leaving a gift in your Will to ellenor now, you become part of the future of our hospice. Whether in memory of a loved one, or as part of your commitment to the local community, your gift will enable us to go on providing essential support to local people through our range of specialist end of life services.
Leave a legacy in memory
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 your loved one such as an engraved leaf on our Memory Tree, dedicated Tribute Page or attendance at our Lights Of Love event.
We understand this can take some sensitive consideration so if you’d prefer to talk it over with one of the Supporter Care team, please feel welcome to contact us on 01322 626509 or email supportercare@ellenor.org
“It was over 25 years ago that our Dad passed away, but our Mum never forgot the amazing support he received from ellenor’s Nurses in his final days. From then on she always supported the charity and it was no surprise to my sister and I that she left a donation in her will. We pass that donation forward with our blessing in the hope that valuable support can continue to be offered to people at such a difficult times”
Julie and Melanie remember their mum, Joyce Gaynor
“By leaving a gift in your Will to ellenor you become part of the future of our hospice supporting everything from specialist end of life care for adults and children, to tailored counselling and bereavement care for patients and their families. It’s a very special gesture we greatly appreciate so please don’t hesitate to contact us if there’s anything at all we can help with.”
Verity Owers, Legacy Manager
We’re here to help…
Please feel welcome to get in touch if you would like to know more about leaving a gift to ellenor in your Will or to request a Gifts In Wills information pack.
If you have already pledged to leave a legacy to us, it’s entirely up to you whether you choose to tell us and how much you want to say but we would love to hear from you so we can thank you properly and keep you updated on our work if you would like that.
Our contact details
01322 626509 or email supportercare@ellenor.org.
Information for solicitors and executors
If you are an executor for someone who has left a gift in their Will to ellenor, or are administering a Will, we are here to help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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).
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.
