Legacies
Remember Hearing Dogs in your will
Your gift could change the life of a deaf person
Hearing dogs completely change the lives of their deaf owners by providing greater independence, confidence and security - as well as valuable companionship.
Remembering Hearing Dogs with a legacy, a simple donation in your will, is one of the best ways of ensuring that more deaf people benefit from having a hearing dog in the future.
Making a will is far less complicated and expensive than you might think, and it is perhaps one of the most important things you'll ever do.
It is the only way to be sure that your family, friends, favourite charities and others are provided for as you wish after your death. If you should die intestate (without a will) the law decides how your money and possessions are divided, so it is important that you make one.
"Ceri has made an enormous difference to my life. She has given me back the confidence I had lost in my own home.
I am forever grateful to the kind person who made a bequest in her will to fund Ceri's training - it was truly a most precious gift."
Leaving a legacy
Where do I start?
It is best to use the services of a solicitor when making a will. A solicitor will be able to advise you on legal aspects, the different ways in which you can make sure all your beneficiaries are provided for - including leaving a donation to a charity - as well as ensure that the will is correctly drawn up in law.
Updating an existing will
There may be changes in circumstances as well as a change of heart that can affect your will. The majority of minor changes can be covered by adding a codicil (an addition or alteration to a will). A legacy gift to a charity can be added to an existing will by codicil.
The codicil must be signed and witnessed and should be kept with the will.
"Before I had Ruby I was feeling lonely and stressed, but she has changed all that. She is a truly happy dog, full of energy and enjoys all the excitement that life as a hearing dog brings - and so do I.
She is my stress reliever and really is a precious gem."
How to include Hearing Dogs in your will
There are several different ways to include a donation to Hearing Dogs in your will:
Residual donation - leaving a percentage of the residue of your estate after all dependants have been provided for. This type of donation is the most beneficial to the Charity
Pecuniary donation - by leaving a specific sum of money, which can be index linked to preserve its value
Specific donation - by deciding to leave part or all of your estate to Hearing Dogs
Hearing Dogs is able to offer a professional will drafting service. For more details contact our legacy officer (contact details are at the bottom of this page).
Your solicitor will need to know the following details:
Charity name - Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
Address - The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough,Bucks HP27 9NS
Registered Charity Number 293358
"I have gained so much from Budgie - when at home I can now relax and feel safe knowing that he is there. I no longer feel isolated or that I am missing out on phone calls and visits.
Budgie has proved himself to be loyal, calm and dependable and I'm proud that we face life and all its challenges together."
Why your donation is so important
Hearing Dogs does not receive any government funding and so relies entirely upon the generosity of its supporters.
Here's how your gift could help change the lives of more deaf people and unwanted puppies…
- It costs £2,500 to part-support or £5,000 to exclusively support a hearing dog through its training, and to provide aftercare and support throughout its working life. Hearing dog supporters are the lifeline of the Charity.
- With more funds we would be able to select many more puppies from rescue centres, or similar circumstances, to train as hearing dogs.
- Your donation will allow us to increase the number of dogs trained each year to meet the growing demand for hearing dogs.
- Your help will enable us to adapt our training, where necessary, to meet the requirements of individuals with additional health difficulties.
- By providing vital funding you will help towards the cost of health checks, neutering and veterinary bills of new puppies and the on-going support of qualified hearing dogs.
- Each new recruit completes a period of socialisation training to introduce them to all the different types of environments that they will encounter as a hearing dog. We need your help to fund this vital part of training.
Your gift will help support essential future developments at our training centres.
…amongst many other vitally important aspects of our work, enabling us to offer more deaf people greater independence, confidence, security and companionship by providing them with a fully trained hearing dog.
A most precious gift
If you would like to find out more about leaving a donation to Hearing Dogs in your will, please call 01844 348130 (voice & minicom) and ask for legacy officer, Chris Mitchell, fax 01844 348101 or email legacy@hearingdogs.org.uk. Alternatively write to Hearing Dogs' legacy officer Chris at The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Bucks HP27 9NS.
Click here for more information on donating to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
