Leave a gift in your will
Making a Will for the first time
British Wildlife is amazing. Whether it’s a humble robin singing in the garden or a majestic red deer stag calling out in the woods, our native species are a much loved and important part of our lives. We believe that every animal matters, and our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release any wildlife that finds itself in danger, whether injured or orphaned. We use our work to educate and inform so that everyone can join us in our mission to save British wildlife.
After you’ve taken care of your loved ones, a gift to Secret World Wildlife Rescue in your Will is the perfect way to help wildlife and make sure it’s still around for future generations to enjoy. A gift in your Will could give the gift of freedom to a wild animal.
An up-to-date Will is important for you
Legacies and gifts are hugely important to the work we do treating and rehabilitating wild animals, with a large percentage of our work being funded by our supporters in this way. Without these people who have left us a gift in their Will, we could not continue to care for the more than 5,000 animals brought to us every year
“I have been a patron of Secret World Wildlife Rescue for many years and have enjoyed visiting and seeing how much the charity has progressed. It has retained its ethics of best care and every single animal is important to them. Please consider leaving a legacy gift to Secret World, I know it will make such a difference to the animals in their care.” – Valerie Singleton OBE, TV presenter and SWWR patron
How to leave a charity gift in your Will
We’ve teamed up with Bequeathed to offer free wills to all our supporters. You can make a start on your Will For Good immediately. Just go online any time that suits you and follow the simple steps to create your draft will.
A member of staff from one of our partner legal firms will then advise you in a free 30-minute appointment, which can be by phone or video call, at-home or in-office. They’ll discuss your circumstances and your wishes and confirm the will fully caters for your needs.
Once your will is complete the firm will help you with getting it signed and witnessed and store it for you, also at no cost.
If you would prefer to start the process with a phone call, simply follow the link below and choose a date and time that suits you.
Whichever way you choose to make your Will For Good, please consider leaving a gift to Secret World Wildlife Rescue. Your generosity will help us to carry on our vital work long into the future.
Leaving a gift to Secret World Wildlife Rescue in your Will is straight-forward. No matter how big or small a gift, every pound we receive is invaluable, helping us to continue our work treating and rehabilitating injured, sick and orphaned animals so that they can be returned back to the wild, and educating children, the general public and veterinary professionals about caring for wildlife and our environment.
We always recommend consulting with a solicitor if you are looking to write or update a Will. You will need to provide them with the charity name, address, and registered charity number in order to leave a gift to support Secret World Wildlife Rescue’s work.
The following is a guideline only and should not replace legal advice you receive:
If you are writing a Will for the first time the following wording may be of assistance:
Leaving a specific amount of money or property to Secret World Wildlife Rescue (called a pecuniary gift)
A pecuniary gift or legacy allows you to specify a specific amount of money, a property or other items to be donated to charity. The wording for this type of gift would be as follows:
I give the sum of £____ (or x property/specific items) free of all taxes to Secret World Wildlife Rescue (Registered Charity Number 1097119) of New Road, East Huntspill, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3PZ to be applied to its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the same.
Leaving a residual gift
A residual gift or legacy enables you to choose – once your affairs have been settled and specific pecuniary gifts distributed – what percentage of the remainder of your estate is given to a particular charity. The wording for this type of gift would be as follows:
I give all (or x percentage share) of my residuary estate free of all taxes to Secret World Wildlife Rescue (Registered Charity Number 1097119) of New Road, East Huntspill, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 3PZ to be applied to its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the same.
Changing or updating your Will to leave a gift to a charity
Rather than updating your Will, it can be quicker and cheaper to add a codicil. A codicil is a document that is signed, witnessed and attached to your original Will, and allows you to make minor alterations to certain parts of your Will without the need to restart the Will-writing process.
This can be written with the help of your solicitor, or you can use a template to write your own, but it must always be given to the person responsible for executing your Will to ensure it is filed and acknowledged correctly. We have prepared this codicil template which you are welcome to use if it helps. It also contains a summary of the information on this page. Please do not make changes to your Will by crossing out paragraphs or adding to it, because this might invalidate the Will.