Leave a Gift in Your Will
About Us
North Wales Society for the Blind is a small, local charity that offers advice, guidance, support and training to people of all ages who are blind or have impaired vision.
Unlike larger national charities, when you donate to North Wales Society for the Blind you can be sure that your contribution is used to help people living in North Wales. Our vital work enables people who are blind or have impaired vision lead independent, active and fulfilled lives in their local community.
At North Wales Society for the Blind we are passionate about and dedicated to our work and we have a relentless commitment to achieving our goals. We are staffed by a small but effective team and managed by a board of voluntary directors. We rely on donations and fundraising to carry out much of our life changing work.
Why your legacy is important
Whatever your age, an up to date, professionally written Will is incredibly important. It is the only way to ensure that your wishes are carried out after you die and that your family, friends and causes close to your heart, are provided for in the way you intend.
As well as looking after your loved ones, would you consider including a gift in your Will to North Wales Society for the Blind?,
Legacies, also known as bequests or gifts in your will, are very important to North Wales Society for the Blind. They help us to plan for the future with confidence, allowing us to ensure that people with sight loss in our local area can receive all the expert advice, guidance, support and training that they need.
North Wales Society for the Blind provide essential support, training, guidance and advice to people of all ages who are blind or have impaired vision in our local communities. By leaving a legacy, you could make a lasting impact on the lives of people living with sight loss in North Wales.
Legacies are our lifeblood. They go towards supporting all our activities, resources and services. Your gift could help us enable people who are blind or have impaired vision in North Wales live active, independent, active and fulfilled lives in their local communities.
Your future gift will also help us to continually innovate and expand, creating new services that respond to the changing needs and challenges of society.
A legacy to North Wales Society for the Blind will make a real difference, for which many truly deserving people will be hugely grateful.
If you would like to visit North Wales Society for the Blind and see first-hand the work that we do, and how your legacy donation could help change the lives of blind and partially sighted people, by helping us provide local services for months and years to come please contact us on 01248 353604 or e-mail admin@nwsb.org.uk
Remembering North Wales Society for the Blind in your will
No matter the size of legacy you choose to leave, your kindness and generosity will enable North Wales Society for the Blind to make a difference to the lives of people who are blind or have impaired vision in our local area. There are a number of different ways that you can remember North Wales Society for the Blind in your will.
Share in the residue of your estate
Residue is whatever is left after all debts, funeral expenses, certain other costs and tax, and any other legacies have been deducted.
Pecuniary legacy
A fixed sum of money.
Specific legacy
A particular named item – for example, a piece of jewelry, furniture or a painting.
Contingent legacy
A legacy that is dependent upon an event, which may, or may not, happen. For example, a legacy that applies only if other beneficiaries named in the will die before the person who wrote the will does.
If you would like to leave North Wales Society for the Blind a legacy in your will, please ensure that you use our full address and charity number
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North Wales Society For The Blind – 325 High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, ll571YB
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Registered charity number 1143368
The importance of making a will
Writing a will is one of the most important documents that you will produce in your lifetime. It is the only way to make sure that your wishes are carried out after you die.
If you die without making a will, you give up your right to express your wishes as to who should benefit from your estate. Many people assume that when they die, their next of kin will automatically inherit everything. This is not always the case and some intestacies (when people die without having made a will) can be very complex.
Unless you make a will that clearly states how you wish to divide your estate, the legal system decides which relatives will receive your estate and in which proportions. Even if you have no relatives, you should still make a will: if you don’t, everything you own may go to the government.
Writing your will
There are many details that you need to consider when writing a will. The following list may be helpful:
Find a Solicitor
When writing a will you should consult a Solicitor. It is a legal document and it is essential that certain pieces of information are included. A Solicitor will make sure your will is legally binding. If you can, get a recommendation for a Solicitor who is experienced in legacies.
Know who you want to benefit
It is important to take time to think about who you want to benefit from your will and how you would like it to be divided.
Appoint an Executor/s
Executors are responsible for administering your estate following your death; you must appoint them when writing a will. Take time to think about who you would like to carry out your wishes. It is a good idea to nominate two people to cover the circumstances where one of them is unable to act for any reason. You can have more if you wish, but remember to ask them first.
Funeral wishes
You might want to think about how you would like your funeral to be carried out. Your will is an appropriate place to state these wishes.
Witness
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, your will must be signed by you on each page and by two independent witnesses, who should not be beneficiaries or Executors in terms of your will. In Scotland only one witness is needed.
Value of Assets
Calculate the assessed value of your estate; your solicitor will then be able to advise you of your potential inheritance tax liability and which steps you can take to save tax.
Keep your will in a safe place
Ensure that you keep your will in a safe place. If you misplace it, your estate might not go to the correct people. You can leave the original with your bank or solicitor, keeping a photocopy at home with you in a safe place.
Reviewing your will
Once you have made your will, it is important to make sure that you keep it updated. Ideally, a will should be reviewed every three years. As your personal circumstances change, you need to ensure that your will still accurately reflects your wishes.
You should update your will if you inherit money, when you have children and when you retire. It is also important to remember that if you marry, or become divorced, an existing will automatically become null and void.
Updating your will by codicil
You can update your will by writing a codicil; this legally binding document should be written with assistance from your solicitor and will be added as an amendment to your will.
If you already have a will and choose to also remember North Wales Society for the Blind, you can do this by adding a legacy to North Wales Society for the Blind through a codicil.
Tax efficiency
Legacies to registered charities in the UK like North Wales Society for the Blind are tax exempt.
If you leave money to North Wales Society for the Blind or another charity in your will, it will be paid out before inheritance tax is deducted, reducing the total amount of tax paid on the estate.
Terms and definitions
Administrator
Someone who is appointed to arrange your affairs if you don’t leave a will.
Beneficiary
An individual or charity that will receive a legacy in your will.
Bequest or legacy
A gift in a will to a person or charity.
Codicil
A document that amends, alters or adds to a will. It must be drawn up and executed in the same way as a will in order to be valid.
Chattels and moveables
Your personal possessions, including your furniture and car.
Estate
Your assets and liabilities at death.
Executor(s)
The persons appointed by an individual in a will, or by the court, who are responsible for administrating your estate at death.
Intestate and intestacy
You are said to be intestate if you die without making a will. Intestacy is the name for this situation.
Probate (Confirmation in Scotland)
The legal procedure to confirm your will is valid and to give your Executor power to deal with your estate.
Residue
The sum that is left from your estate when all debts, charges and legacies have been deducted.
Restricted fund
Monies or property required to be held for a specific project or cause, rather than for the general funds of a charity.
Testator (male) or testatrix (female)
The person who is making the will.
Helpful contacts
The Law Society
If you need to find a solicitor you may wish to contact The Law Society who will put you in contact with a reputable solicitor who will incorporate your wishes in your will.
England and Wales: 0870 606 2555
North Wales Society for the Blind
Address 325 High Street Bangor , Gwynedd, LL571YB.
Phone number: 01248 353604