How to leave a legacy

By leaving a gift in your Will to Vision Aid Overseas, you can help to ensure that we can give more people the vision to fight poverty.

640 million people, 10% of the world's population, need eye tests and glasses to escape disadvantage and disability. Many of these people risk a lifetime of poverty because they have never had a sight test.

Planning to support the people and causes you care about after your death could be one of the most important things you ever do. None of us choose where or when we’re born or how long we will live but we can choose to leave something behind to help make the world a better place. Of course, we all want to take care of our loved ones, but once that’s done we hope you will consider leaving a gift in your Will to support the work of Vision Aid Overseas.

 

A gift in your Will, of any size, will mean that we can continue to transform lives. Your donation could mean a lifetime of sight for our patients. The gift of sight can open the door to opportunity; the opportunity to live a fulfilled, rewarding and supportive life. Over the past 30 years gifts in Wills have helped Vision Aid Overseas to provide training, equipment, self-sustaining Vision Centres and eye tests and glasses to over one million people worldwide.

Tax Relief on Legacies.

In addition to the Gift Aid support for donations made during our lives, gifts left to charities like Vision Aid Overseas in the form of a legacy also benefit from tax relief. In fact, as you probably know, charitable legacies are completely exempt from inheritance tax (IHT). Under certain circumstances, if you leave 10% or more of the value of your taxable estate to charity, your other beneficiaries could also benefit.

If you are a UK tax payer and would like to take advantage of this enhanced tax relief we would recommend you consult your financial advisor. If you decide to include a gift to Vision Aid Overseas in your Will, you don’t have to tell us, but it would be wonderful if you did so we could say thank you. 

Whatever your age or circumstances the importance of having a Will should not be underestimated. It will ensure that your loved ones are provided for and it gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to a cause you feel passionately about.

 

How to leave a Legacy to Vision Aid Overseas

A Will is a legal document that protects the wishes of the person who wrote it and can allow that person to take care of their loved ones.  It must comply with legal formalities, but is usually quick and easy with the help of a solicitor.

If you have already made a Will you could talk to your solicitor about adding a codicil to amend your will to include a gift to Vision Aid Overseas.

If you want to talk to someone at Vision Aid Overseas about leaving a legacy you can email andy.holliday@visionaidoverseas.org or phone him on 01293 535 016.