Your questions answered

We’ve tried to answer some of the more frequently asked questions about gifts in Wills here. You’ll find more detailed information in our free Will Guide, and if you’d like to talk in confidence with Elizabeth, our Legacy Officer, she’d be delighted to hear from you.

Making a Will is the only way you can be sure your wishes will be met after you die. Dying without a Will – ‘intestate’ – can cause unnecessary distress to family and friends.

Any errors in Wills can cause problems and make it invalid. That is why we strongly recommend that you use a qualified solicitor or professional Will writer.

Your executor is the person or people you choose to look after your estate in the event of your death. It can be any person that you know and trust – a close friend, a relative or your solicitor.

You will need to give your solicitor or Will writer our registered charity number (212810) and our address (YMCA England and Wales, 10-11 Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6EH). You should also advise them what type of gift you would like to leave. You’ll find more details about types of gift in our free Will Guide.

Gifts in Wills account for around a third of our voluntary income. That means so many of the young people we support only get a fair start in life because someone like you remembered them in your Will. By leaving a gift to YMCA, no matter how big or small, you will be giving a young person of the future a fair start in life.

You can amend an existing Will to include YMCA very simply by asking a solicitor or Will writer to draw up a ‘codicil’.

There are three different types of gift you might like to consider. A ‘specific gift’ is a an item or possession such as jewellery, property or shares. You can also give a ‘pecuniary gift’, which is a donation of a fixed financial amount. Many YMCA supporters choose to leave us a ‘residuary gift’. This is a share of what remains of your estate once your other wishes have been carried out.

Including a charity like YMCA in your Will may reduce the tax burden on your beneficiaries as gifts to registered charities are usually tax exempt. You can find more details of this in our free Will Guide, but these rules change frequently so do also discuss them with your solicitor or Will writer.

Your Will is a very personal document and you are under no obligation to let us know if you have included a gift to us. However, it is enormously helpful if we do know your intentions. That way we can make sure we only send you information that is helpful and relevant to your circumstances and invite you to appropriate events. We’d also like the chance to say ‘thank you’!

Call or email Elizabeth

You can contact our Legacy Officer in complete confidence and with absolutely no obligation.

Tel: 020 7186 9521
Email: giftinwills@ymca.org.uk