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Join the growing number of people who have decided to leave a gift in their Wills to the National Churches Trust.
These gifts are vital to ensure churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the UK have a vibrant future for the communities they serve.
Can I leave a legacy to the National Churches Trust? I didn’t think it was a charity.
The National Churches Trust is a registered charity, Reg. No 1119845 created in June 2007 from the work of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust (itself founded in 1953) to preserve churches of historic interest permanently for the benefit of the nation. We are entirely independent of the government and we receive no direct state grant or subsidy for our general work. We are inter-denominational and support churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the UK. We depend on the generosity of people like you to protect the iconic urban and rural landmarks invested with so much of our history.
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Can you advise on appropriate wording to put into my will to include a legacy to the National Churches Trust?
We strongly advise that you use a qualified solicitor to amend an existing will or to include a legacy in a new will. We have produced appropriate wording, which you can download from this site and take along to your solicitor. Please see our PDF called ‘How to leave a gift’, which will open in a new window and can be printed. You will also find basic information about will-making.
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Can I avoid inheritance tax with a legacy to the Trust?
From April 2006, if your estate is worth more than £285,000, then inheritance tax must be paid out on the excess before the people to whom you wish to leave money can benefit. Inheritance tax is currently set at 40 per cent.
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Can you tell me what the difference is between a pecuniary and a residuary legacy?
With a pecuniary legacy you can specify a particular amount of money or a specific item, perhaps a piece of jewellery or furniture, for example, that you would like to bequeath. A residuary legacy is when you decide to leave the remainder of your estate once family and friends have been taken care of. Many people choose this latter option.
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Can the value of my legacy go down over time?
It is difficult to predict precisely how the value of your legacy will be affected 10, 20 or 30 years from now. However, the most effective way to protect your bequest against inflation is to leave a percentage of your estate to charity, rather than a specific sum, the value of which will decrease year on year if inflation rises.
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Can I give a copy of my signed will to anyone for safekeeping?
You can keep a copy of your will with your solicitor or bank, as well as holding a copy yourself. It is also wise to tell your executors where they can find the original. From time to time you should review your will to make sure it still accurately reflects your wishes and takes account of recent events in your life, like the birth of a grandchild for example.
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Can I leave the contents of my house to the Trust?
The National Churches Trust would not have the resources to retain those items but could arrange to sell the contents at their proper market value. If you are considering this, please contact us to discuss your thoughts on this, and we can arrange for someone to visit you.
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Can I have my legacy marked in some way?
Appropriate memories recorded in a commemorative book held on our web site with a copy of the entry provided as a hard copy for your family would be one way of recording your gift. It is advisable to discuss your wishes with the Trust before deciding.
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Can I be sure the National Churches Trust really needs my legacy?
Legacies are the largest source of income for the Trust. Without them we could not help to protect many of our countries most treasured churches retaining them for the local communities and for all future generations to enjoy.
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Can I find out what the National Churches Trust spends legacy income on?
You can down load our Annual Review which contains a full statement of accounts – or see the full audited accounts under our charity number on the Charity Commission website.
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Can I choose what my legacy is spent on?
Yes you can. Whilst we do welcome legacies that can be used for general funds so we can meet our most urgent needs, we are also very happy to accept gifts for particular use.
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Can I be sure that you will spend my legacy where I want it to be spent?
Whatever your wishes, we will respect them and act upon them, as long as what you have requested does not conflict with Trust policy.
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Can I choose how much I want to leave and does it have to be for a lot of money?
Anyone can leave a legacy to the National Churches Trust and we welcome all gifts – large and small. Some people leave us specific gifts of money and others choose to leave us the residue of their estate once family and friends have been looked after. But whether you give £200 to preserve, £2,000 or £20,000 : your gift counts.
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Can I be sure my legacy will not be swallowed up by administration?
Yes you can. The last thing you want is for the money you entrust to us to be eaten up by administration costs. We already keep those to a minimum, but all legacy funds we receive go directly to essential project work.
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Can I talk to someone who can answer my queries about will making and leaving a legacy to the National Churches Trust?
Members of our Legacies Department are always more than happy to help you with any queries you may have. If you would like to talk to someone you can call us on 020 7600 6090 during office hours or email us at info@nationalchurchestrust.org
Alternatively, you can write to us at The National Churches Trust, 31 Newbury Street London EC1A 7HU Please address your correspondence to our Chief Executive Andrew Edwards. If you prefer us to reply by telephone, please remember to include a daytime number where we can contact you. Thank you.
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