Giving a legacy in your will allows us to carry on our vital and urgent work towards ending the suffering of mentally ill people in the developing world.

A legacy to BasicNeeds is a gift to future generations of mentally ill people. It is your opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves. A legacy will give us the opportunity to plan our long-term work well into the future, meaning your legacy will make a lasting difference for many years to come.

Leaving a legacy to BasicNeeds does not have to be a choice between providing for your family and loved ones or a donation to charity. You can remember both your own family and the families of mentally ill people who we are working with.

Making a Will is the only way to ensure that your wishes are respected after your death so it’s important that you make a one and ensure it is kept up to date.

What’s more, legacies left to charities are free of Inheritance Tax, making your gift go even further. A common way of remembering a favourite charity in your Will is to leave the proportion of your estate above the Inheritance Tax threshold (currently £325000) to charity, thereby avoiding the payment of Tax.

If you already have a Will that you feel is up to date, and don’t want the expense or trouble of making a new one, you can add a Codicil (an appendix) which expresses your wishes. Like your Will, this must be signed by the testator in the presence of two witnesses who are not beneficiaries.

Gifts in wills can be:

• Residuary Bequest
  Leaving the remainder of your estate after all other bequests have been made and debts cleared.

• Pecuniary Bequest
  A gift of a fixed sum of money. This will decrease in real terms overtime as the cost of living increases.

• Specific Bequest
  A bequest of a specific item or thing, for example a piece of art, jewellery or furniture.

• Contingent Bequest
  This is a bequest dependent upon the occurrence of another event. For example, a donation to charity may be made if someone else in the Will dies before the testator.

When making a Will or adding a Codicil, it is important that you take the advice of a legal professional, such as a solicitor, to ensure that it conforms to the law and is not declared invalid after your death. Your legal professional will also be able to advise you on tax efficient ways of distributing your estate.

To make a donation to BasicNeeds, the full name of the charity, the charity number and our address must be included in your will. The information is provided below:

BasicNeeds UK, 158A Parade, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4AE

Registered Charity Number 1079599

If you would like any more information about leaving a legacy in your will, please contact Jane Cox on 01926 330101 or email Jane.Cox@basicneeds.org