A gift of a lifetime

Be a part of Ashburnham Place for future generations with a gift in your will

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information

Learn how you can leave a legacy gift

For many of you

Regular and sacrificial giving to the work of Ashburnham Christian Trust (ACT) has been a long-standing and faithful part of your love and support of the Trust’s vision to extend the Kingdom of God.

By leaving a legacy you will be able to support ACT and its vision long after you have gone to be with the Lord.

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How We Have Used Legacies and Major Gifts in the Past?

How Will We Use Legacies and Major Gifts in the future?

Leaving a Legacy Cover

Download the legacy booklet

If you wish to read the legacy booklet offline, you can download it as a PDF by clicking the button below. Alternatively, if you’d like a physical copy of the booklet delivered by post, you can request one by filling out the form below.

Contact us

If you have any queries or are interested in leaving a legacy, please get in touch with us or fill out our form below.

Our Contact Details

Address

Ashburnham Christian Trust
Ashburnham Place
Battle
East Sussex
TN33 9NF
United Kingdom

Get directions and more info about our location.

Phone

General enquiries:
Open Tuesday – Sunday
01424 892244

Email

Send a message using our contact form above

paul
andy

Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If something you have read strikes a chord in your heart – do pray about it and explore whether God is speaking to you about leaving a legacy to Ashburnham Christian Trust. If after praying you feel that this is right, talk to a solicitor about making a will or changing your existing will to include a legacy to ACT.

If you have already included a legacy to Ashburnham Christian Trust in your will – thank you. In any event, we are grateful to you for your continuing support for the work of ACT and pray that God will continue to bless you in the days and years to come.

If you would like to discuss this first with our General Directors, Paul and Andy, they would be happy to talk to you in confidence and help you with the next step.

volunteer at Ashburnham Place
volunteer at Ashburnham Place

Do you have any questions?

If you have questions about leaving a legacy check our FAQs below

Frequently asked questions

We are always happy to help you with any queries you may have. If you’d like to get in touch, please contact us via one of the methods below.

Online form

Email: legacy@ashburnham.org.uk

Tel:
General enquiries:
Open Tuesday – Sunday
01424 892244

Ashburnham Christian Trust
Ashburnham Place
Battle
East Sussex
TN33 9NF
United Kingdom

Our charity number is Charity No.: 212755

Our address is Ashburnham Christian Trust
Ashburnham Place
Battle
East Sussex
TN33 9NF
United Kingdom

Wills are legal documents and as small errors can cause big problems it is preferable to have someone legally qualified to draft it for you. If you do not have a legal advisor or solicitor, ask someone you trust for advice. You could also look at review sites on the internet or at the Saga or AgeUK websites. Another option is to make a will online but this option may not provide any tangible professional advice to help you with all the legal details.
As people’s financial situations and personal affiliations can evolve, it’s wise to periodically reassess your legacies to ensure they align with your current wishes. It’s a good practice to review them in conjunction with your will.

Legacies designated for individuals could be liable for inheritance tax, contingent on their circumstances. Presently, inheritance tax is assessed at a rate of 40%. However, legacies bequeathed to a registered charity are entirely exempt from inheritance tax. This means that no inheritance tax will apply if you possess a high-value estate and allocate the entire estate to a charity. Moreover, many individuals are unaware that leaving 10% of their estate to a registered charity can reduce the inheritance tax rate from 40% to 36%. This reduction can significantly benefit individuals named as beneficiaries in your will.

We recommend you seek legal advice about whether your intended legacy might be subject to inheritance tax.

A legacy doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of a monetary gift. For instance, it can be a physical asset like property.

We know an example of a kind-hearted individual who donated his house to his charity. After his passing, the church was able to utilise the property to provide housing for families in need.

You are free to designate multiple legacies in your will. We recommend starting by deciding how much you’d like to give and to whom. There’s no restriction on the number of legacies you can create, and you can allocate different sums to various individuals or organisations.

If you wish to leave several charitable legacies but are uncertain about specific beneficiaries, you can establish a Trust where you allocate a sum of money or a property. Your appointed Trustees will then distribute these assets according to your wishes. You can also provide your Trustees with a letter of wishes outlining your preferred recipients and the respective amounts they should receive. The beauty of this approach is that you can update this letter over the years as needed without having to amend your will.

To leave a lasting legacy, you need to clearly state your wishes in a will. This legal document makes sure your desires are followed. Unfortunately, many people don’t specify their gifts in their wills, creating uncertainty about who will benefit from their estate. As a result, the individuals or organisations you meant to support may not receive what you intended from your estate.
If you already have a will in place, congratulations as this is the most important thing. Should you want to make changes to your existing will it is not difficult. There may be a number of times during your life when your circumstances change and as a result you may wish to change your will. Unfortunately, you cannot simply write changes onto an existing Last Will and Testament.
1. A Residual Gift A share of what’s left of your estate once all other gifts and expenses have been deducted – this is called a residual gift 2. A Pecuniary Gift A specific fixed amount of money – this is called a pecuniary gift 3. A Specific Gift A particular item, such as an asset or money – this is called a specific gift The most valuable gift is the residual gift, but any gift in your will, however large or small, will be most appreciated by the beneficiary.
If you feel very brave you can write a will yourself using a template. Such templates are available from stationers or once again the internet. It is perfectly legal to write your own will but few of us have the skills needed to do this properly. So think carefully before taking this option. For the sake of a relatively small saving there is a far greater risk that mistakes could be made, which could mean that your will is invalid! You could also look at review sites on the internet or at the Saga or AgeUK websites. Another option is to make a will online but this option may not provide any tangible professional advice to help you with all the legal details.
1. making a codicil This is a legal document giving details of the changes you wish to make which is then signed, dated, witnessed and attached to your existing will. 2. making an entirely new will As a rule, it is probably simpler and more straightforward to use the codicil for relatively small changes or additions to your existing will. Writing a new will is more suitable if the changes are more substantial or significant. Generally, it is best to seek legal advice as to which option is more appropriate for your particular circumstance If your will is more than 5 years old, it is probably a good idea to review it to see if it still fulfils your wishes and takes into consideration any changes in your circumstances.

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