Why is it important to have a Will?

Read our leaflet here

Writing a Will is the only way to make sure that the people and organisations close to your heart are taken care of after your death. Raising Health recommends seeking the advice of a qualified solicitor, who will draw up a Will for you. Don’t attempt to ‘do it yourself’ as a ‘home-made’ will may not meet legal requirements and may be ruled invalid by the courts.

If you are writing a new Will, there are four main types of legacy you can leave:

• A residuary legacy is the remainder of the estate once other gifts and payments have been made. This type of gift is popular with our supporters because it remains proportional to the value of your estate.
• A pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money. The value of pecuniary legacies could decrease over time, as the cost of living increases.
• A specific legacy is a specific named item, for example a piece of jewellery or property.
• A residuary legacy after a partner dies allows you to leave assets for the care of a loved one for the duration of their life. When they die, your legacy will then go to your chosen recipient.

Leaving a legacy to Raising Health

We consider it the greatest honor to be remembered in someone's Will. To know that the care our staff have given has prompted such a gift, and that we can continue to enhance the care given to future patients and service users because of that gift means a lot. We have put together some suggested wording for a legacy to help you if you are considering leaving a gift in your Will. If there is a particular service, ward or hospital you would like to benefit please specify that too.

"I give all (or a _% share of) the residue of my estate to Raising Health (Registered Charity Number 1057361), Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Riverside House, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road, Thurmaston, Leicester LE4 8PQ, for its general charitable purposes (or state which hospital or service you wish the legacy to be for) and I direct that the receipt of a duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge."

Already made a Will?

Many people make a Will and assume that’s all they need to do. But things change as time goes on and it is worth reviewing your Will every few years to check it still reflects your current wishes. Even if you are happy with the main provisions of your Will, you can still make additional provisions by way of a codicil. For example, if you decide to add a legacy to Raising Health, a codicil is an inexpensive way of doing so. You will need to ask a solicitor to draw up a codicil for you, and just as for your Will, you will need to have two independent witnesses be present and sign when you do. Here is some suggested wording for a codicil:

"I (name) of (address) declare this to be my first codicil to my last Will, dated (date). I give (details of the legacy) to Raising Health, Health (Registered Charity Number 1057361), Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Room 100/110 Pen Lloyd Building, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester, LE3 8RA, for its general charitable purposes (or state which hospital or service you wish the legacy to be for) and I direct that the receipt of a duly authorised officer shall be a valid and appropriate form of discharge. In all other respects I confirm my Will." 

Your gift to the future

Remembering Raising Health in your Will means we can continue to enhance the healthcare Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust provides to the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, across all ages and stages of their mental and physical health journey. 

Legacies have allowed us to improve the environment on our wards and gardens, buy specialised equipment and most recently allow for the development of a new gym at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, which will enable scores of patients to feel the benefit physical exercise can have on their mental well-being. You can read more about the development of the new gym here.