What will your legacy be?

For most of us, our will is one way of looking after the people we care about. We leave them something to make sure they’re ok when we’re gone. A gift to The Pituitary Foundation in your will is an extra way of looking after the people you care about who have been affected by pituitary conditions. Your own family, friends and even people you’ll never know. People you will want to help because you know how hard it can be when families are affected by one of the many complex pituitary conditions. Your gift will help make sure we can be there for all of them if they ever need us, whether that’s 10, 20 or 30 years from now.

How we use gifts in wills

Over the past 5 years, ten percent of the money we raised came from people leaving The Foundation a gift in their will.

Those gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Big ones, small ones … £200, £3,000, £20,000… 1% of an estate or 100% … Or anything left over after the other gifts have been made.

We use those gifts to give support to people affected by pituitary conditions when they most need it. Someone to help them understand a diagnosis. Or to help them prepare for treatment, and cope with side effects. Someone to help afterwards, with returning to work, or living with a pituitary condition.

We understand that when making a will your family must come first but even a small gift will help us to give every person affected by a pituitary condition, and their families, the best possible support in their hour of need.

How to leave a legacy

Please ensure your will includes our full name, registered office address and our registered charity number:

  • The Pituitary Foundation, Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE
  • Registered charity in England & Wales 1058968.

Free will writing for members

If you are a member of The Pituitary Foundation then why not take advantage of our free will writing service (worth £100).

You would make your will over the telephone, in the comfort and privacy of your own home. Compass are specialist estate planners and have over 20 years’ experience in the field, so you can be assured of a quality, professional service (www.compass-advisors.co.uk). They will talk you through each step to make the process as easy and simple as possible.

The free will comprises of a Basic Will which is suitable for an individual whose assets are below the Inheritance Tax threshold of £325,000. Instructions for your will would be taken by telephone appointment or e-mail, whichever is most convenient for you. If you already have a will that you would like to update, then we would recommend writing a new will with Compass, which again would be free to you as part of this offer.

Next steps

If you would like a free will, please either call or e-mail Compass Wills and Estate Planning quoting the reference “Pituitary” as soon as possible:

Telephone – 01792 893200 Office opening hours: (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail – [email protected]

Codicil wording for your will

A codicil is a supplement to a will which changes or amends part of that will. We would always recommend that you speak to your solicitor when making or amending your will. Should you wish to remember The Pituitary Foundation in you will, you could take the following wording suggestions to your solicitor to ensure that your wishes are accurately followed.

Wording for a residuary gift (a percentage of your estate)

‘I give the _____ % of my real and personal estate which I can dispose of by will in any manner I think properly to The Pituitary Foundation of Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE (Registered charity in England and Wales 1058968) absolutely for its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer or other proper officer for the time being of The Pituitary Foundation shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.’

Wording for a pecuniary gift (a specific amount of money)

‘I give the sum of £_______ to The Pituitary Foundation of Brunswick Court, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE (Registered charity in England and Wales 1058968) absolutely for its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Chief Executive Officer or other proper officer for the time being of The Pituitary Foundation shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my executors.’

It is important to ensure that the following clause is inserted in your will, whichever wording you need to use:

‘If at my death any charity named as a beneficiary in this Will or any Codicil hereto has changed its name or amalgamated with or transferred its assets to another body then my executors shall give effect to any gift made to such charity as it had been made (in the first case) to the body in its changed name or (in the second place) to the body which results from such amalgamation or to which such transfer has been made.

Frequently asked questions

The following information may help you with any questions you have about leaving a gift in your will. If you have questions that are not answered here please get in touch.

What about my family and friends?

You will, of course, want to ensure your loved ones are taken care of in your will. But after you have provided for them, leaving a percentage of what’s left over to The Pituitary Foundation is a wonderful way to help take care of others who will also need support and care in the future. By discussing your intentions with your loved ones, they will understand that leaving a gift in your will is something that’s important to you. They may feel proud of your decision, as many families do. By choosing to leave even a small percentage, the amount you want to give to your loved ones will always be protected. You may want to leave a fixed amount of money, in which case, a solicitor can advise you on how to plan for inflation. You can also choose to leave your gift in memory of someone special to you – a wonderful way of commemorating how much that person meant to you.

Can I afford to leave a gift in my will?

Most of us aren’t wealthy, and are also worried that paying for our retirements will eat away at our savings. But however little we might own, we can still choose to support the things we care about. Even small gifts left in wills can help us give so much support and care. However much you choose to leave, it will make a difference to someone with a pituitary condition many years from now. What’s more, making a gift in your will could actually reduce the percentage of your estate liable for Inheritance Tax. You can contact a solicitor or a financial advisor to see if this applies to you.

Doesn’t The Pituitary Foundation need my help now, not later?

If you send a gift today, it will help us provide our services today, which is wonderful. And a gift left in your will can help us ensure people whose lives will be turned upside down by a pituitary diagnosis in the future will still have our support. We’ve been supporting people who are affected by pituitary conditions for 30 years and the demand for our services continues to increase year on year. We don’t know what the future will bring but as long as pituitary conditions exist, so many people will need our support in years to come and as we continue to increase awareness in the public eye it means that each year more and more pituitary patients are reaching out for our help.

If I decide to leave a gift in my will, what do I have to do?

If you have decided to leave a gift to The Pituitary Foundation in your will, thank you so much. Because of you, so many people will have support and care when they need it most – thank you for helping us be there when it matters. Creating or amending a Will to include a gift to The Pituitary Foundation is simple:

Creating a new will

We advise that you should consult a solicitor when you make a will, to ensure your wishes are carried out exactly as you’d like. You should also appoint an executor – someone who is responsible for administering your estate and can be either your solicitor or perhaps a family member or friend.

Changing or updating an existing will

If you already have a will, you can simply update it by adding a codicil to your will. A codicil is a supplement to a will which changes or amends part of that will. It’s a good idea to review your will when circumstances change to check that it still reflects your wishes.

If you need further advice on leaving a gift to The Pituitary Foundation in your will please get in touch.