Legacies

Helping Us: Legacies and Bequests
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Bequests and legacies are an important way in which individuals can help safeguard the long-term security of the Centre and ensure that our vital heritage material is preserved for the benefit of future generations. In addition, a further key reason for making a will is that you can ensure that your money and possessions are distributed according to your own wishes whereas this might not happen if you die intestate (without making a will).

There are two key types of gift that can be made via a will: a legacy is a straightforward gift of a specific sum of money and a bequest refers to gifts of property or possessions which may include any Second World War documentation or memorabilia that you might have.

Here are just two examples of recent contributions:

  • a legacy payment of £1,000 enabled us to purchase much-needed archive material to preserve the records of approximately ten individuals within the archive.
  • Mrs Kay Browne was tape-recorded in 2001 before sadly passing away in May 2002 but made provision in her will that all the material (including memoirs and photographs) relating to her Second World War experience as a VAD nurse and Far Eastern internee came to the Centre.

If you have not yet made a will then we would advise that you do so. There are plenty of guidance materials available to help you but using a solicitor is probably the most effective way, particularly if you have specific wishes or your affairs are in any way complicated. You can revoke or alter your will at any time and can use it to dispose of land, buildings, cash, investments and possessions.

If you have already made a will it is very easy to add a Codicil to include a specific donation to the Second World War Experience Centre. Please see Codicil. If you would like any more information about this, please contact cath.pugh@war-experience.org