Leave a gift in your will

Many of us hope that we leave a legacy of love, kindness and fond memories to our family, friends, other people we know or may have worked with; that when we are gone their memories of us make them smile. Leaving a gift in your will to charity is more than a donation, it is also part of your legacy.

The early months of 2020 saw our Nation facing the greatest public health crisis in the history of the National Health Service. For many the Covid-19 pandemic has left a legacy of illness, grief, unemployment, disrupted schooling and fear. Alongside the NHS our Armed Forces have been at the forefront of the fight against the virus. Soldiers, sailors and airmen and women have served in Covid testing and vaccination centres, constructed Nightingale hospitals in record time, provided ambulance crews and ensured that vital PPE and food supplies have been delivered.

We all want our lives to matter, and Christians seek to leave a legacy of love and kindness for our families, friends, and colleagues. Our goal is to live our lives as faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through our service we want to help others see something of the glory and beauty of our Saviour. We give cheerfully to the Lord’s work, and if we are able to leave a gift in our will to support Christian work this too becomes part of our legacy.

Making a will is easy to put off, it’s an administrative effort, and possibly not something we choose to think about. But without a will you may leave your loved ones facing uncertainty, and a will helps ensure that your wishes are known and put into effect.

May we invite you to prayerfully consider leaving a gift to SASRA in your will so that we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus Christ among our Armed Forces – who serve our country in so many ways. Providing for family and loved ones comes first, and then the needs of your church fellowship. Any gift you choose to leave after providing for these needs would be deeply valued by the Association.

Decisions about your will are important, and you may want to discuss them with those who would be affected. Enclosed is a leaflet with helpful information on making a will. If you already have a will but would like to include a gift to SASRA the leaflet explains how to do so.

Thank you for taking the time to consider making a gift to SASRA. We appreciate your will is personal and understand if you wish to keep your decisions private. However, if you would like us to know that our work will be a part of your legacy we would be grateful to hear from you.

Making a will is simpler than you might think, though we recommend that you have your will written by a solicitor or other qualified will writer. They will be able to guide you through the process so that your wishes are correctly and legally recorded.

The Law Society or the Lawyers Christian Fellowship can help you find a solicitor local to you.

Family can still come first; you don’t have to choose between looking after your loved ones and leaving a gift to charity. You can use your will to do both, for example leaving a gift to SASRA after your friends and family have been taken care of. Every gift makes a lasting difference to the work of SASRA.

Another consideration you will need to bear in mind is Inheritance Tax, sometimes known as “death duties”—making a donation can reduce the amount your estate has to pay in Inheritance Tax.

Search the Government website for information on Inheritance Tax.

There are three common types of gifts referred to in wills:

A Pecuniary Gift – a fixed amount of money
A Specific Gift – a particular item or asset
A Residuary Gift – a share or percentage of an estate

Your circumstances and priorities can change over time, so it’s important to regularly check that your will still reflects your wishes.

Small changes can be accommodated by writing a Codicil (a supplementary document that modifies/updates). This is also a legal document which needs to be signed and dated by witnesses in the same way your will does. It then needs to be kept with your will.

If you do wish to leave a gift in your will to SASRA the information you will need is our name, address and charity registration number as follows:

SASRA
Havelock House
Barrack Road
Aldershot
GU11 3NP
Registered Charity Number 235708