How to leave a legacy

A gift to SOS Children in your will

There are several ways that you can leave a gift to SOS Children in your will. You can leave a share of your estate, a fixed amount of money or a particular item.

The most valuable gifts to charities are residuary gifts (a share of your estate), but any gift in your will, large or small, will make a difference.

Making a will can be a daunting prospect so we have tried to answer a few of the more common questions here:

What basic information do I need to include?

The most important information to include is our name, our address and our registered charity number:

SOS Children

Terrington House

13-15 Hills Road

Cambridge

CB2 1NL

Registered charity no 1069204

Do I have enough to leave a legacy?

A gift in your will does not have to be an enormous sum of money.  Any gift left in a will, no matter how large or how small, is important to us and can change lives for the better.

How to leave a gift to SOS Children?

Leaving a gift in your will to SOS Children simply involves adding a short paragraph to your will; we would always suggest that you use a qualified solicitor to assist you with this.

If you already have a will it is important that you keep it up to date; fortunately making changes to an existing will is very straightforward. Your solicitor simply attaches a written instruction called a codicil which will need the signature of two independent witnesses.

Types of gifts in wills

The two most usual types of legacies that people leave are residuary or pecuniary.

A residuary legacy is when a person leaves a percentage of their estate. This means that however much your estate is ultimately worth, you ensure your loved ones are looked after as well as giving a gift to your chosen charity. It also means you don't have to keep altering your will as your circumstances change. This type of gift maintains its value and automatically adjusts as the value of your estate increases.

A pecuniary legacy is a specified sum of money.

We would always advise that you consult your solicitor on what is best for your particular circumstances.

Request legacy information

You can get in touch with us to discuss leaving a gift in your will, or simply request further information. If you have already included a gift to SOS Children in your will and would like to tell us, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Where can I find out more?

By remembering SOS Children in your will, you are giving hope to orphans worldwide. It could mean the life changing opportunity of education for children like Tamana. It is a guarantee that our work continues into the future and gives hope for a lifetime.

If you would like us to help in any way with the specific wording of a legacy to SOS Children, please call us on 01223 365589 or email legacy@soschildren.org. You can also contact us on 01223 365589.