Gift in your will

The Will Writing Guild

Freshfields Animal Rescue would like to acknowledge the support of the The Will Writing Guild UK for their efforts to encourage legacy giving to 'local' charities.  Too often small and medium sized charities are overlooked and yet these are the very organisations that do the most, working tirelessly at the heart of their local community.

The safest way to ensure that your estate goes exactly where 'you' want it to go, when you are no longer here, is to make certain that you have a professionally written will.  The Will Writing Guild in Hoghton Street, Southport currently charge £85 to write the will of a single person and £125 for married couples or partners and they are offering a discount to anyone making their will as a result of reading this article (just mention having heard about them on the Freshfields Animal Rescue website when you make contact). 

The Will Writing Guild UK Ltd is a member of the Institute of Professional Will Writers.  They can be reached at their Southport office on 01704 546688 or you can visit their website http://www.thewwg.co.uk 

Don't leave it until it's too late....

WE PROMISE to be there for the Animals…

We rely totally upon the generosity of donations to fund our services. Gifts in Wills help us to finance the high running costs of the centre such as veterinary bills, food, bedding, heating etc - we simply couldn't do what we do without them.

Leaving a gift in your Will to Freshfields Animal Rescue, however large or small, will help us to continue helping the needy animals in our care. 

YOUR PROMISE can help to make that possible…

A LEGACY is a promise. A commitment from you that, on your death, all or part of your possessions (your “estate” in legal terms – including property, cash and other possessions) will be donated to a charity you have chosen and nominated in your will.

A LEGACY means that your support for a cause you care about will live on and will help that cause to live on as well.

A LEGACY not only benefits the Charity concerned – it may also reduce any inheritance tax bill your family might face.

THE TWO FRESHFIELDS ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRES have made a positive mission commitment to try to always be there for homeless, unwanted and abused animals across Merseyside and Mid-Wales.

LEAVING A LEGACY TO FRESHFIELDS IS VERY EASY. If you are currently making up a Will just inform your Solicitor of your wish to include us. If you would like to include us in a Will you have already made then your Solicitor will easily be able to make an addition (called a “codicil”) to the instructions you have already given.

FOR MORE INFORMATION and for a free copy of our Guide to Legacies just contact our Liverpool rescue on 0151 931 1604 or email helen@freshfieldsrescue.org.uk .  We will include in the guide some useful information to enable you to understand how easy the process is and to see the benefits of your kind donation.

What Ifs?

Question = What if I have already made my will?

Answer = This is not a problem , If you want to add Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre to an existing Will, your solicitor simply attaches a written instruction, called a codicil. This must be done by your solicitor - don't make changes yourself as you may inadvertently invalidate your Will. Further information is available from our 'Guide to making wills' available from our fundraising office.

Question = Do I need to inform you I am leaving you a legacy in my will?

Answer = No, It would help us to plan for the future better if you would take the time to let us know but it's not essential. We would treat all your information with the utmost confidentiality.

Question = I don't have much to leave in my will, can I still help you?

Answer = We are so very grateful for every donations be it large or small, monetary or goods. Please do not worry about this, every penny helps us care for the animals and it all adds up.

Question = I am very concerned about what will happen to my beloved dog when I die. Can you help put my mind at ease?

Answer = Yes of course, many people leaving legacies request that their beloved pets be taken care of by Freshfields rather than neglected or put to sleep before their time. Be sure you make your needs clear in your will rather than leave it to chance. Please rest assured they will be safe in our hands.

What will happen to your pets when you are no longer there to care for them?

Its not morbid to make a will - it simply makes things easier for the loved ones that you leave behind. Whether they're humans or animals, they will all need to be cared for after you've gone. We all lead such complicated lives these days that, for most of us, what happens to our personal belongings isn't as straightforward as it once would have been. Unless you make your wishes clearly known by making a will then it could take years for solicitors to distribute your estate.

At freshfields, we get many requests to take care of bereaved animals every year, sometimes as a result of the owners having the foresight to include that provision in their will, but often it is left to the surviving families to make those arrangements. Our policy is to give these animals highest priority and to get them into the rescue as soon as we have a space for them.

We're happy to take in these unfortunate pets but in many cases, when there has been no forward planning, we are expected to look after them from our own funds. Sadly when people die after a long illness, much loved pets are very often a little neglected, usually because of the pressure close relatives are under at these times. The majority of animals, very often elderly themselves, coming in need as a minimum a fresh course of vaccinations, a full MOT, a standard general blood profile to tell us all internal organs are working normally. Very often dental work, almost always an individual diet. We maintain ALL animals are rehomable, even elderly animals but they do require more time-space-input and a gentler approach to rehoming. This chairity has always specialised in settling down older pets into new adoptee homes. People trust us to do the right thing as we do.

We cannot stress enough, the importance of stipulation in writing your wishes for the future of any pets you have, and providing the financial means for this to be done. In 2007 alone we have been called in by either social services or the immediate families on 33 occassions to remove animals into our care. On none of these occassions were any written instructions left to guide anyone.

So please...if you have pets and you want them to be looked after should you no longer be there then please, make this clear in a legally binding will.