Leave a Gift in Your Will
Help ensure our support is there for generations to come
A gift in your will is one of the most meaningful ways to support families going through one of the hardest experiences life can bring.
Those who leave a gift to Addiction Family Support have usually been through this experience themselves. They know what it means to feel alone, and they want to make sure others don’t have to feel that way.
Gifts in wills go directly to funding our services, ensuring that people across the UK can access free, compassionate support whenever they need it most.
The Types of Gifts You Can Leave
There are a few ways you can choose to leave a gift in your will:
A specific amount of money
Also known as a pecuniary gift.
A share of your estate
A percentage of what remains after other gifts and expenses have been paid, known as a residuary gift.
A particular item or asset
Such as property, investments, or jewellery. This is called a specific gift.
A gift that passes to us in the future
For example, after a loved one has benefited during their lifetime. This is known as a reversionary gift.
If you are unsure which option is right for you, your solicitor or professional will writer can advise.
A Gift in Matt's Name
Meg and John came to Addiction Family Support after their son Matt became affected by harmful drug use. Sadly, Matt passed away. Meg and John has since chosen to leave a gift in their will to Addiction Family Support, so that others in the same situation can get the support their family needed. Here, they share why.
“When we were faced with Matt’s descent into harmful drug use, there wasn’t really anything other than AA’s 12 steps. Excellent as it is, it’s not specifically for suffering families. That changed when Addiction Family Support came along, under the wonderful stewardship of Elizabeth Burton-Phillips. Suddenly there was help for us. Something for families to be involved with, to learn, to find ways of supporting our loved ones without enabling them. We had a voice of our own.
Sadly, as you know, it was too late for our Matt. But the support helped us deal with his loss. We know Matt will never have his rightful inheritance, but it gives us great comfort to know that his death wasn’t in vain, and that others will benefit, in Matt’s name.
We all think nothing like this could ever happen to us. We’ll never need such help. But how reassuring to know that if it is ever needed, it is there, waiting.”
Meg and John
How to Leave a Gift to AFS
We recommend using a solicitor or professional will writer to make sure your will is legally valid and reflects your wishes clearly.
To include us in your will, simply share the following details:
Charity name: Addiction Family Support
Address: 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE
Registered charity number: 1123316
Already Have a Will?
If you’d like to make a small change to an existing will, for example, to include a gift to us, you can do this with a simple document called a codicil. It’s signed and witnessed in the same way as your will and should be stored alongside it.
For bigger changes, we recommend updating your will with your solicitor’s help.
Wording for Your Will
Here’s the suggested wording your solicitor can use to include a gift to us:
If you’re leaving a share of your estate (residuary gift):
I give… per cent (…%) of the residue of my real and personal estate to Addiction Family Support, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE (Registered charity No. 1123316), and the receipt of a duly authorised officer for the time being of AFS shall be sufficient discharge for my Executors.
If you’re leaving a fixed amount of money (pecuniary gift):
I give… pounds (£…) to Addiction Family Support, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE (Registered charity No. 1123316), and the receipt of a duly authorised officer for the time being of AFS shall be sufficient discharge for my Executors.
If you’re leaving a particular item or asset (specific gift):
I give my… [include a description of the asset here] to Addiction Family Support, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE (Registered charity No. 1123316), and the receipt of a duly authorised officer for the time being of AFS shall be sufficient discharge for my Executors.
Questions?
We understand that leaving a gift in your will is a personal decision.
If you would like to speak to someone in confidence about including Addiction Family Support in your will, we would be very happy to help. There is no obligation, and any conversation will be treated with care and respect.