Making a gift in your will to Enable Ability can make a huge difference to disabled children and young adults in the Portsmouth area. A gift of inheritance gives you the assurance that when you leave, you leave knowing that an act of goodness on your part will improve the lives of many others for years to come after you, and would be part of your legacy.

How to leave a legacy

Writing your will is the first step towards making sure your wishes are respected. Making provision for your family and friends is the most important part of the will making process but if you wish to include a legacy to a charity, such as Enable Ability, then there are different ways to make that gift and help ensure services for others continue into the future.

Enable Ability would always recommend speaking to a qualified professional, such as a solicitor, when making or changing your will.

What sort of gifts to charity can I make in my will?

There are three main types of gift:

• a specified amount of money
• an item or artifact such as a piece of art
• a share in, or all of, a defined part of your estate

Leaving a share (also known as a residuary gift) has the advantage that it remains constant without the need to change to compensate for inflation over time. It would also have the biggest impact to a charity like Enable Ability.

Writing a will

Preparing a will is not as complex as most people think. There are many resources available which can help you to prepare your own will or provide assistance at relatively low costs. You will then need to consider where best to store your will, which is normally at a solicitor’s offices although you can register with the Probate Office for a fee.

If you already have a will

If you already have prepared your will and wish to include a gift to a charity such as Enable Ability within it then if the change is relatively small or simple you may not need to rewrite it. You can ask a qualified professional such as a solicitor to add an amendment or side-letter (called a codicil) which will detail how you wish the gift to be made.