Helping St Barnabas House with a gift in your Will a simple guide

St Barnabas House Titnore Lane Worthing BN12 6NZ Tel: 01903 706 300 Website: www.stbh.org.uk Registered charity no 256789 © St Barnabas House June 2012

St Barnabas House: a power for good in our local community Many people still believe that a hospice is somewhere people go to die. However, looking after people in the last days of their lives is a small part of what we do. We want to be involved much earlier in an individual’s illness and offer a broad range of services, both in the hospice and in the patient’s home, enabling people to live to the limits of their horizons.

Gifts in Wills: investing in the future

“My vision is for St Barnabas House to provide anybody from the local community, who is faced with a life-limiting illness, with specialist care, support and advice, wherever and whenever it’s needed, to enable them to live life to the full.” Hugh Lowson, Chief Executive

Having an advanced illness can raise all sorts of practical, physical and emotional issues, which affect not only the patient, but their loved ones too.The hospice aims to help tackle these issues, offering expert advice and support along the way. Recent enhancements to our services to improve the overall care for patients include a Hospice at Home service introduced in 2012, enabling us to support more patients by offering “hands on care” in the comfort of their own homes. We are also developing a range of outpatient services offering patients treatment at the hospice, rather than visiting the local hospital.

Relying on kindness The cost of providing care amounts to over £5 million each year. Patients are not charged for their care and approximately only a quarter of our care costs are funded by the Government. This means St Barnabas relies on the generosity, help and support of the people of Sussex.

The hospice team To provide the whole spectrum of care, we employ nurses, doctors, social workers, counsellors, a chaplain, physiotherapists, complementary therapists and volunteers. We provide a range of services including pain control, symptom relief, skilled nursing care, counselling, complementary therapies, spiritual care, art, music, physiotherapy, reminiscence and bereavement support for families and relatives.

Gifts left to St Barnabas House in supporters’ Wills are a crucial part of our income, but it’s not just a question of amount. The funds we receive from legacies are a very special form of support, and perhaps the most effective way anyone can help us. Every gift, in every Will, makes a difference. To put it simply, a gift left in your Will helps St Barnabas House to help desperately ill local people and their families today and tomorrow.

A lasting gift to St Barnabas House Gifts in Wills come in all sizes, but as you see, whatever the amount, each gift will make a very real difference to the lives of our patients and their families.

£5,000 In-Patient Unit A gift of this amount would allow our nurses and doctors to care for a patient at the hospice for 10 days, helping to relieve the pain and discomfort caused by their condition or to provide care at the end of life.

£97,800 A whole week’s care Thanks to the generosity of people like you, patients and their families are never charged for any of the services which we provide. A generous gift of this amount would enable us to provide all our care services for a whole week.

£1,820 Complementary therapies Many patients find complementary therapies very helpful as part of their treatment, particularly for pain relief. Aromatherapy, massage and reflexology can all help to reduce pain and lift the patient’s spirits. A gift of this sum will allow us to provide a weekly treatment for a patient for an entire year.

Your gift £3,420 Day Hospice Our Day Hospice provides patients with somewhere they can meet others, enjoy social opportunities and discuss their condition with one of our nurses. We can welcome 18 patients a day and such a gift would provide this service for an entire day.

£2,340 Community Palliative Care Nurse A valuable part of the care we provide is that given by our Community Nurses, who visit patients at home, giving specialist advice and support. This gift will allow a Community Nurse to make twice weekly visits to a patient for six months.

£1,040 Artist in Residence A favourite at the hospice, our artist works with patients on creative projects which explore their ideas, concerns or interests. Works are often for family or friends, acting as a personal lasting message. This gift would allow us to provide weekly sessions for a patient throughout the year.

£1,100 Day Hospice minibus Our minibus is essential for providing transport to patients who need to travel in a wheelchair, allowing them to attend our Day Hospice. It is also used to take patients on social outings to local attractions. A gift like this will cover the running costs for an entire year which make these activities possible.

£700 Day Hospice entertainment The Day Hospice is a place for relaxation and enjoyment, and we like to arrange for a variety of music and entertainment groups to perform periodically. With your gift, we could plan a whole year of song, dance and laughter.

Wills: your questions answered Why should I make a Will? A Will is the only way of making sure that those you care about are provided for in the way you wish after your death. If you die without a Will a court will appoint administrators to deal with the distribution of everything you own (your estate). They won’t know your wishes and you will have no control over how they divide your estate. How do I know what to leave? In order to decide what to leave, you must first value your estate. That means estimating the combined value of all your assets, including: your house and its contents; your car; jewellery and antiques; savings; investments and life insurance; business assets; and any money owed to you. Once you have a total, deduct the value of the following: any money you owe; your mortgage; any overdrafts, loans, hire purchase agreements and credit cards. The figure you come to is the value of your estate. Now you can draw up a list of everyone you wish to benefit from your Will, by how much and in what way – and decide whether you want to make a gift to St Barnabas House. Can my Will include arrangements for my funeral? When your Will is drawn up you may also like to take the opportunity to incorporate any specific requests regarding your funeral arrangements. For instance, you may consider including a wish that donations are made to St Barnabas House in lieu of flowers at your funeral. All such gifts go directly towards providing care for patients at the hospice.  Donations in-memoriam and in lieu of flowers are an important source of income for St Barnabas House. How can I be sure my Will is valid and accurate? A Will is a legal document and trying to write your own can be difficult. One small mistake and it may be invalid. That’s why it is always best to have your Will drawn up by an experienced solicitor.

How much will it cost me? The cost of a straightforward Will is normally under £200. It will be worth every penny to ensure your instructions are followed and those you care about – and the causes you believe in – are provided for as you wish. Why would I need to update my Will? Keeping your Will up to date is as important as making one. Your wishes, circumstance and family arrangements can change over the years – influenced by factors such as marriage and divorce, the birth of children and grandchildren or receiving an inheritance. Any of these events would make an updated Will essential. Will I have to pay Inheritance Tax? Yes, if the net value of your estate (assets minus liabilities) is over £325,000 (2012/13 figure), Inheritance Tax will be payable on the excess at a rate of 40%. All gifts to charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax and the value of the estate is calculated after the value of such gifts have been deducted. For deaths occurring on or after 6 April 2012 a reduced rate of Inheritance Tax of 36% is applied where 10% or more of an estate is left to charity. For this purpose, the net estate is the value after deducting all IHT exemptions, relief and the nil rate band.  There may be other ways of reducing Inheritance Tax and we strongly advise that you speak to a solicitor or other financial advisor to discuss your personal circumstances and wishes.

How do I change my Will? Never write on your Will or you will make it invalid. Major changes might require a completely new Will. However, minor additions can be made using a separate document called a codicil. You must sign it in the presence of two witnesses who must also sign it. They must not be beneficiaries of the Will or related to beneficiaries. Then the codicil must be kept with the Will but not attached to it. Leaving a gift to St Barnabas House can be easily arranged by adding a codicil to an existing Will. A blank codicil document can be picked up from a newsagent’s, stationer’s or post office for just a few pounds – but if you have any doubts or queries, we recommend you contact your solicitor.

What kind of gift should I leave to St Barnabas House in my Will? There are three main types of gift that you can leave in your Will. Specific item This is a gift of property or a physical item such as a piece of jewellery or an antique. Cash legacy Also known as a pecuniary legacy, this is a gift of a set amount of money. A proportion of your estate Also called a residuary legacy, this is a gift of all or part of what is left of your estate after taxes and debts are paid and all other legacies have been distributed. It is very important that at least one person or charity should receive the residue of our estate, otherwise the Government will distribute it according to current legislation. Of course, St Barnabas House is always very happy to receive specific and cash gifts. However, we know that many people prefer to make specific gifts of items and cash to their loved ones and leave the residue to us. And that’s fine by us. By leaving a proportion of your estate to St Barnabas House it ensures that, not only are those you care about provided for in exactly the way you want, but we also receive much-needed funds to provide care in the future. What’s more, because the value of a residuary gift may adjust in line with inflation, it means we can receive the support you intended, regardless of changing financial situations. It all adds up to a very special way of helping local people.

Choosing a solicitor There are many firms of solicitors in Worthing, Adur and Arun who can help you compose or amend your Will. A professional advisor will ensure not only that your estate is distributed as you would wish, but also that you have minimised your taxable contribution, leaving more for those you care about and good causes. St Barnabas House does not recommend a particular firm of solicitors but, for people wishing to choose a solicitor, we do recommend contacting The Law Society. This impartial, independent organisation operates a free ‘Find a Solicitor’ service, which can be contacted using the following details.

‘Find a Solicitor’ contact details Tel: 020 7242 1222 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosingandusing/findasolicitor.law

Let us say thank you Leaving a gift to St Barnabas House in your Will puts you right at the heart of a growing family of supporters, volunteers, nurses and patients. It’s an extremely kind gesture – and we couldn’t be more grateful. That’s why, when you agree to include us in your Will, we’ll do everything we can to show you how much you mean to us. Remember us in your Will and we will: • Invite you to special events – both in and out of the hospice. • Send you an exclusive pin badge that you can wear with pride. • Include your name – if you wish – in a Book of Legacy Gifts on permanent display at the hospice when your legacy matures.

Photographs taken by Day Hospice patients, with the help of Stevan Stratford, Artist in Residence, at a workshop at West Dean Gardens

And, of course, you’ll also have the knowledge that your kindness is helping local people for many years to come.

Leaving a gift: a personal view Miss W told us why she’s decided to leave a gift to St Barnabas – and exactly what it means to her.

“Both my brothers received care at St Barnabas at the end of their lives. They were identical twins, born just ten minutes apart and they were like two peas in a pod to look at. I suppose it was strangely fitting that they both went to St Barnabas in the end. David, the older twin, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was utterly devastated to learn he had just a month to live. Being a local person, I already knew about St Barnabas. We decided straight away that he had to go there. As it turned out, he lived another three months before he slowly slipped away. That was ten years ago. Peter, the younger twin, died of liver cancer at St Barnabas just four years later. I was so grateful for the amazing care they both received at St Barnabas that I decided to include the hospice in my Will. At the time I only had a draft Will, so I went to a solicitor to help me put one together. I was very glad I did because he knew all the correct wording and so on. With the solicitor’s help, it was all very straightforward. He drafted it and I signed it in the presence of two witnesses.

It’s a powerfu l thought – and an ext rem ely comfort ing one – to know that eve n afte r I’m gon e, I’ ll be help ing to ma ke a lot of fa mili es’ last day s tog eth er mu ch happier and pea cef ul. As soon as I’d done it, I was glad I’d finally made my Will. It’s one of those things you keep putting off, even though you know you should get it done. If I’d known how easy it was going to be I’d have done it a lot sooner. So, I felt immensely relieved to know that I’d tidied my affairs and made sure that my loved ones would be looked after exactly as I intended. I can tell you, it has brought me a lot of peace of mind. And, of course, I’m extremely happy to know that St Barnabas will benefit from my Will too. I have arranged to leave them a quarter of what’s left over after the other legacies have been paid out . I think it’s the best way I can help an organisation like St Barnabas. My gift will help them to give even more local people the same wonderful care that my brothers received. It’s a powerful thought – and an extremely comforting one – to know that even after I’m gone, I’ll be helping to make a lot of families’ last days together much happier and peaceful. I would encourage anyone to do the same. I’m certain it’s something they will never regret.”

A very special request Now we’ve told you everything you need to know, will you make the most important decision you’ll make all year? Will you arrange to leave a gift to St Barnabas House in your Will? Say ‘yes’ and you could: • Help desperately ill local people and their families to receive the very best healthcare available for many years to come. • Take the opportunity to make or update your Will so that it reflects your full intentions. • Beat or reduce Inheritance Tax and ensure that your estate is passed on to those you care about, not the taxman. Your decision to remember St Barnabas House in your Will today will be a priceless investment in the future health and wellbeing of people from Worthing, Adur and Arun. It is, quite literally, your once in a lifetime opportunity to make a lasting difference. If you can help, or if you just want to talk with us about leaving a gift in your Will, please let us know by returning the form in the envelope enclosed.

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