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Legacies
Giving a gift to Rape Crisis in your will means leaving a powerful legacy that will make a difference to women and girls impacted by sexual violence after you've gone. It means ensuring your passion for social justice and your vision of a world free from rape and sexual abuse will live on.
Making a will is one of the most important things you can do for the future of your family and friends, and also for your values and the causes closest to your heart. It can spare loved ones added stress in a time of sadness. And it's a lot simpler and more affordable than you might think.
How to make a will
There are different ways you can make a will:
Write it yourself
It’s possible to write your own will. Templates are quite cheap and easy to find online or in stationery shops. But leaving out certain details could make your will invalid so you need to be careful with this option.
Find out more about this option and risks involved with DIY wills.
Use a solicitor
Using a solicitor to write your will is likely to be more expensive than doing it yourself. But it could reduce the risk of mistakes and give you peace of mind. It's likely to be a better option for you if you want to write anything more than a very simple, straightforward will.
Find out more and find a qualified solicitor
Charity Schemes
There are a number of charitable schemes that let you have a will drawn up by a solicitor free of charge or for a suggested donation. Rape Crisis England & Wales doesn't endorse or benefit from any of these directly.
The largest examples are:
- Free Wills Month: this runs twice a year, usually in March and October in certain parts of England and Wales.
- Will Aid: this runs in November, with around 1,000 solicitors taking part. You usually have to book in advance, as spaces on the scheme are limited and it can get busy. There’s a suggested minimum donation.
Three ways to give to Rape Crisis through your will
If you're using a solicitor, they can talk you through the different ways to make a charitable gift through your will.
Whatever you decide, it isn't complicated. If you want to leave us a legacy, the most important thing is to be clear and specific - naming Rape Crisis England & Wales and giving our address and charity registration number.
Different types of legacy include:
- Residuary legacy: the ‘residue’ of an estate is what's left after all the other bequests, taxes, and debts have been paid.
- Pecuniary legacy: a fixed sum of money or a fixed percentage of your estate. It's important to bear in mind that the value of a fixed sum of money will decrease over time as the cost of living rises.
- Specific legacy: a particular item such as stocks and shares, proceeds of a life insurance policy, property or land, jewellery etc.