Legacies

Leaving a legacy to the Trent Rivers Trust is the most lasting gift you could make. By remembering the Trent Rivers Trust in your will, you can help ensure that the work of the Trust continues and many fascinating creatures, fish and other river based life flourish so that future generations can benefit from them.

You don't have to be rich to leave a donation to the Trent Rivers Trust in your will, it doesn't matter how much – it will still make a difference. It is easy to arrange – and it's tax-free too.

Of course we understand that your first priority will be to ensure that those closest to you are taken care of. However, if after you have done this, you feel that you are able to leave a gift to the Trent Rivers Trust there are various way in which you can do this.

How to leave a legacy to us

• A residuary legacy – you can choose to leave a percentage of what is left of your estate, once all the expenses, debts, and specific gifts have been taken out e.g. 10%.

• A pecuniary legacy – you can set a specific sum as a gift to us e.g. £1,000.

• A specific gift – you can leave us a gift such as a painting, jewellery or even property which will help us to raise valuable core funding.

• Company Pensions – some pension schemes will allow you to complete an ‘expression of wish' form to benefit any charity of your choice. In the event of your death, the stated proportion of the life insurance benefit will be paid to your chosen charities. However, please note that not all pension schemes are set up to do this.

Making a Will

The prospect of making a will may seem daunting, however the process is simple. Without a will there is no guarantee that the people and causes you care for will benefit. Without a will your family could suffer difficulties and your wishes may not be honoured. Remembering the Trent Rivers Trust in your will is one of the most effective ways you can support our work.

It is not expensive to make a will, it is however, best to go to a legal adviser and get reliable professional advice.

Changing an existing will

It is relatively easy to make minor alterations and/or additions to an existing will; you can do this by making a codicil. This avoids the cost of having your will completely re-written. A legal advisor can help you add a codicil.

The appropriate wording is given below:

This is a codicil of……..(name) of………(address) to my will dated (date).
I give (details of bequest as illustrated below) to the Trent Rivers Trust, C/o Trentside Offices, Scarrington Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Registered Charity Number 1089239, to be applied to the Trent Rivers Trust for its charitable purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge. In all other respects, I confirm my
will dated (date of original will).

Wording to use in a will

If you do decide to leave us a legacy it is very important that the wording is accurate. If there is any doubt over the name or any other detail of the charity this will delay and may even cancel the legacy. Below are examples of the wording that you should use, please note that it is very important that you use the full name for the Trent Rivers Trust and also include our full address details together with our charity number. Doing this will ensure that there is no doubt that the gift you are leaving is intended for us.

To leave a share of your estate (a residuary legacy):

I give all or a share (please state the percentage or fraction) of the residue of my estate absolutely to the Trent Rivers Trust, C/o Trentside Offices, Scarrington Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Registered Charity Number 1089239, to be applied to the Trent Rivers Trust for its charitable purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.

To leave a specific sum (a pecuniary gift):

I give the Trent Rivers Trust, C/o Trentside Offices, Scarrington Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Registered Charity Number 1089239, the sum (write the amount in figures and words) to be applied to the Trent Rivers Trust for its charitable purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.

To leave a specific item:

I give the Trent Rivers Trust, C/o Trentside Offices, Scarrington Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Registered Charity Number 1089239, (insert a comprehensive description of whatever you wish to give) to be applied to the Trent Rivers Trust for its charitable purposes, and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge.

Leaving a legacy can save on tax

If an estate (currently £255,000) is over a certain threshold the amount over this threshold is liable for 40% tax, known as inheritance tax. For instance, on an estate worth £350,000, tax of £38,000 will have to be paid. However, if you leave a legacy this will be deducted from the worth of the estate before tax is calculated. For instance on an estate worth £350,000 in which a legacy of £30,000 has been left to a charity the tax due on the estate will be £26,000 instead of the £38,000.

Let us know
Thank you if you have already left a gift to the Trent Rivers Trust in you will; your support is greatly appreciated. If you have made a provision in your will, or plan to do so in the future, we would be grateful if you could let us know, so that we can keep you informed about our work. However, we understand that you may wish to keep the nature of your will confidential.

Obtaining advice
You should always seek advice from a professional legal adviser before making or changing a will. They will be able to provide you with up-to-date information on how to write a will.

If you have a general enquiry about how to leave a gift to the Trent Rivers Trust please contact David Hunter, in confidence, on 01636 830653, e-mail: david.hunter@trentriverstrust.co.uk