How do I decide what type of gift to leave in my Will?
There are different types of gifts you can leave Samaritans in your Will. Every gift will make a difference to someone who needs our support in the future, so if you’re thinking of leaving us a gift, thank you.
Below are the types of gifts you can leave Samaritans in your Will:
- A share of your estate – For example, you could choose to leave 30% or ¼ of your estate to Samaritans, once all taxes and other payments have been made. This is known as a residuary gift.
- A fixed sum – You might choose to leave a fixed amount of money to Samaritans, which is often referred to as a pecuniary gift. For example, this could be £200, £2,000 or £20,000. If you choose this type of gift, it’s worth considering linking it to inflation. Without this it could mean the true value of this gift may be less than you intended.
- A specific item – You may wish to leave a personal possession or specific investment. For example, this could include jewellery, an antique or shares.
Every gift will make a difference to someone who needs our support in the future.
Updating your existing Will
If you’ve already written a Will, and you want to add a gift to Samaritans, you can do this by drafting a document called a Codicil. A Codicil is simply an addition, amendment or supplement to your existing Will.
You can use our Codicil form (PDF) to add a cash or specific gift to an existing Will.
We always recommend consulting a solicitor or legal professional when completing a codicil form to update your Will. Visit Remember A Charity for further advice.
Suggested wording for remembering Samaritans in your Will
If you choose to remember Samaritans in your Will, we recommend using the following wording:
Central Charity
I give <the sum of £______> and/or <(all/specify fraction/% share) of the residue of my estate> and/or <specific item> to Samaritans, registered charity in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) of The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell KT17 2AF for its general charitable purposes absolutely. I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said charity shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.
Central Charity branch
I give <the sum of £______> and/or <(all/specify fraction/% share) of the residue of my estate> and/or <specific item> to Samaritans, registered charity in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) of The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell KT17 2AF for its general charitable purposes absolutely, and I express the wish (without imposing any trust or binding obligation) that the sum be applied for the use and benefit of the Samaritans (specify) Branch. I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said charity shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.
Affiliate branch
I give <the sum of £______> and/or <(all/specify fraction/% share) of the residue of my estate> and/or <specific item> to Samaritans (specify) Branch (specify registered charity number for that Branch) of (address for Branch) for its general charitable purposes absolutely. In the event the aforesaid Branch shall no longer exist at the date of my death I give the legacy to Samaritans, registered charity in England and Wales (219432) and in Scotland (SC040604) of The Upper Mill, Kingston Road, Ewell KT17 2AF for its general charitable purposes absolutely. In either case I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said charity shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.
We would appreciate it if you could consider index linking cash gifts in order to maintain their value for the future.
If you choose to do so, we recommend that you ask a solicitor to provide suitable wording to index link your gift as well as making allowances for any future eventualities.
If you would like to restrict a gift to Samaritans Ireland, or to a specific branch in the Republic of Ireland, please feel free to call us on 03709 00 00 32 or email [email protected] to obtain the correct branch details and wording.
Glossary of terms
Some of the legal and financial terms you might come across when writing your Will can be confusing. If you need help understanding what any of them mean, please read our glossary of terms. If you would like to request our free gifts in Wills guide, please select the button below.