How to leave a gift in your Will

Making a Will is the only way that you can ensure that your estate goes to your loved ones and causes that are important to you and that your wishes are followed after death. We highly recommend you use a solicitor when writing a Will to ensure your wishes are recorded as you intended.

If you decide to leave a gift in your Will to Friends of the Lake District we will be extremely grateful. There are two ways you can do this.

1. A residuary gift - when you leave a percentage of your estate
2. A pecuniary gift - when you leave a specific amount of money

Residuary gifts are particularly helpful because they tend to be inflation-proof, being a percentage rather than a specific sum. Any gift in your Will, however large or small, will make a difference to the Lake District. 

What do I need to include in my Will?

If you decide to include Friends of the Lake District in your Will it is important that you use our full name: Friends of the Lake District, our registered charity number: 1100759, and our registered address: Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7SS.

Suggested wording:

Residuary gift - I give […]% of the residue of my real and personal estate to Friends of the Lake District (Registered Charity No. 1100759) of Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7SS and the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or the proper officer for the time being of Friends of the Lake District shall be a complete discharge to my executors.

Pecuniary gift (a set sum) - I give the sum of [...in words] pounds (£… in figures) to Friends of the Lake District (Registered Charity No. 1100759) of Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 7SS and the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer for the time being of Friends of the Lake District shall be a complete discharge to my executors.

If you have written us into your Will we would love it if you let us know so we can say thank you. You can email [email protected] or telephone 01539 720788.

Can I change my Will?

If you would like to make substantial changes to your Will we suggest seeing a solicitor to write a new one. If it is a small update, you can use a Codicil but you need to ensure your changes have been recorded correctly. A solicitor can advise.

What if I have more questions?

If you would like to talk to someone at Friends of the Lake District about leaving a gift in your Will please call us on 01539 720788 or email [email protected].