The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea
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Gifts in Wills

Close up of New Quay crew member Ceri Knapgate looking out through a station window.

The work of our volunteer crews relies entirely upon the generosity of people like you.

After providing for your loved ones, please consider leaving a proportion of what's left to the RNLI.

Any size or kind of gift, large or small, pays for the equipment and training our volunteers need to stay safe and save more lives - today and into the future.

Read how it works on the tabs below. And if you have any queries about legacy giving, contact us.

  • UK - Mark Allwood - Tel: 01202 663032 
  • RoI - Tel: 01 895 1890  

The work of our lifeboat crews and lifeguards, along with the provision of the best possible boats, equipment and training to ensure their safety, relies entirely upon the generosity of kind supporters like you.

There will always be a need for our volunteers to undertake lifesaving operations around our coastline and on our inland waterways. A gift in your Will helps ensure that we can continue to provide this service for future generations. Remember, we receive no funding from the UK government.

After providing for those you care for, please consider leaving just a small proportion of what’s left over to help us provide the training and equipment our crews need to operate in safe conditions, well into the future.

Each and every gift, regardless of size, counts. For example, just £16 will purchase a pair of gloves to protect a volunteer’s hands and £1,214 provides a year’s lifesaving training for a crew member.

You may chose to inform certain people or charities that you have mentioned them in your Will, but that is always your decision. To encourage the crew and help us face the future with confidence it would be very helpful if you could tell us your intentions using the Contact Us form.

If you do decide to tell us that you have remembered us, it gives us the opportunity to thank you and invite you to see how your gift may be used. Please also rest assured that if you change your mind at a later date, we will completely understand. You don’t even have to let us know.

We appreciate that leaving a gift in a Will is a big decision and we promise to respect you and your choices. The RNLI legacy promise ('see Our promises to you' tab) outlines our commitment to you.

The work of our lifeboat crews - along with the provision of the best possible boats, equipment and training to ensure their safety - relies entirely upon the generosity of kind supporters like you.

We can:

  • explain how a gift in a Will can help the RNLI continue to save lives into the future

  • arrange for you to visit a station and see the volunteer crew in action

  • describe the different ways you can leave a gift in a Will and explain the benefits

  • explain how a gift to the RNLI could help reduce the level of inheritance tax on your estate

  • help you to find a solicitor and provide you with a pack containing helpful information about how to make or update your Will, as well as how to leave a gift to the RNLI.

Different ways of giving

There are two main ways of leaving a gift:

  • Residuary gift: you can choose to leave a proportion, or the whole of what is left in your estate once you have provided for your loved ones.

  • Pecuniary gift: also known as a specific gift. A donation of a fixed amount.

If you have already made a Will

In most cases you can make a simple addition to your existing Will with a codicil. This supplement overwrites existing instructions without the need to revoke or rewrite the whole document. We have provided a draft codicil to simplify the process. We always recommend that you seek the advice of a solicitor and do not write on, amend or attach any form to your current Will yourself, as your Will could become invalid.

If you have not already made a Will

You may need to see a solicitor. There will be a fee but you will receive sound professional advice and can be sure that your wishes are honoured.

Need more help?

Our Legacy Enquiries Manager, Mark Allwood, will do his best to help you with any questions you may have. Please use our contact form, call Mark on 01202 663032 or email Mark.

If you are an executor

Our Legacy Department will do their best to help you with any questions you may have. Please use our contact form, call Ros Barter on 01202 663004 or email Ros.

Any gift, large or small, helps our volunteer lifeboat crews save lives. However, a gift to the RNLI could also help reduce the inheritance tax on your estate (what you own when you die). Your estate includes your house, stocks and shares, pensions, insurance policies, annual service benefits, PEPs/ISAs, and savings accounts.

The Chancellor has recently announced changes to inheritance tax law. Your solicitor will be able to provide you with advice specific to your circumstances. Currently the threshold for Inheritance Tax is £325,000 for individuals. Married couples and members of civil partnerships are able to transfer any unused allowance to a spouse or partner so that they can leave up to £650,000 before death duties are due.

Generally speaking gifts to spouses, civil partners and charities in the seven years before death and in a Will are deducted from your estate before inheritance tax is calculated. So if these gifts reduce the value of your estate to below the threshold, it should no longer be liable for any inheritance tax. This means many people can make a significant contribution to the RNLI with less of an effect on the value of what they leave to other beneficiaries. 

Of course, everyone's financial situation is different, so this only provides a general outline of how inheritance tax might affect you. There are other issues that could affect the level of your inheritance tax, so you should always ask your solicitor about your particular circumstances. Further information is also available from HM Revenue & Customs. If you have any other questions, please contact Mark Allwood, Legacy Enquiries Manager, on 01202 663032 or email mark_allwood@rnli.org.uk.

Information about inheritance tax in Ireland.

 
  • ​We won’t put you under pressure. This is a big decision so please decide in your own time.
  • Your loved ones come first. We respect that and won’t try and change it.
  • We’ll use your special gift wisely and effectively.
  • You don’t have to tell us your decision - we respect your right to privacy.
  • You can come and see our service first hand - just let us know.
  • We’ll answer any questions honestly and quickly.
  • If you want your gift to be spent in an area that’s special to you, we’ll arrange it.

Isn't this a private matter?

Absolutely. It’s entirely up to you if you wish to share the contents of your Will during your lifetime. We will never ask you outright to tell us your wishes, but if you would like to share your intentions we’d love to hear from you, as this knowledge helps us to plan more efficiently for the future. It will also give us the opportunity to thank you, and invite you to see how your gift could be used.

I'm not wealthy, can I afford to leave a gift in my Will?

​Every gift helps. It’s not always possible to give as much as you would like to a charity during your lifetime, and we all have to think carefully about paying for later life. After you have provided for those you care for, leaving a proportion of the remainder of your estate is a great way of making a difference to a cause you care about. Plus, by leaving a proportion of your estate, you can be sure that whatever happens to the economy, the generous intentions behind your gift will not be affected.

Will my money be put to good use?

Certainly. It will help the RNLI continue to save lives at sea. Every day our volunteer crews risk their lives, and we need to ensure that they have the equipment and training necessary to return home safely. If you leave us a gift in your Will, it’s crucial that you can trust us to use it responsibly and respectfully. We promise to use every penny to save lives at sea safely, effectively and as cost-efficiently as possible.

Wouldn't it be better to help now rather than later?

We are incredibly thankful to everyone who chooses to support our work, whenever and however they choose to do so. There will always be a need for the services we provide, both around the coastline and on inland waterways. Gifts in Wills ensure that we will be able to continue saving lives into the future.

I want to leave a gift to the RNLI. Do I need a solicitor?

If you have not already made a Will, you may need to see a solicitor. There will be a fee but you will receive sound professional advice and can be sure that your wishes are honoured.

If you have an existing Will, in most cases you can make a simple addition or amendment with a codicil. This supplement overwrites existing instructions without the need to revoke or rewrite the whole document. We have provided a draft codicil to simplify the process. We always recommend that you seek the advice of a solicitor and do not write on, amend or attach any form to your current Will yourself, as your Will could become invalid.

I’m an executor of a Will, what do I need to do next?

Our Legacy Department will do their best to help you with any questions you may have to do with being an executor. Please use our contact form or call Ros Barter on 01202 663004.

What if I need to change my Will again?

We appreciate that your circumstances could change at any time which could have implications for your Will. If you ever need advice about leaving a gift in your Will we will do our very best to help you but we will never put pressure on you to share the contents of your Will.


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