A forever thank you in your Will can change lives for years to come so every single gift is incredibly precious.

Your Will may be one of the most important documents you ever write. That’s because if you have last wishes, including them in your Will is a great way to be certain they’re carried out. A Will is an excellent place to record your funeral wishes and is where you can make sure that the right people get whatever you’ve decided to leave for them. It’s a simple way to carry on looking after loved ones when you’re no longer here.

Dying without a Will could leave your loved ones with a lot of difficult decisions to make, at an already distressing time.

Finally, your Will can also carry on your support for causes that are close to your heart. By including a gift to our charity in your Will you can write a forever thank you with a gift that will carry on making a difference, long after you’re gone

I'd like to leave part of what's left of my estate

After you've taken care of your family and friends and paid off any debts or taxes, you can gift either a portion or all of what's left - this is known as a residuary gift.

For example, as little as 1% of what remains of your estate could make a real difference. Many supporters like this kind of gift because, as a part of your overall estate, it keeps its value over time.

I'd like to leave a specific amount

Another option is to leave a fixed amount of money or pecuniary gift, which you set aside in your Will.

This type of gift is paid out before the residue of your estate is calculated. Over time, inflation can reduce this type of gifts value which can make it less impactful.

I'd like to leave a specific gift

A specific gift is a particular valuable item - like property, shares or a piece of jewellery. This type of gift might be difficult for our charity to utilise so it is always best to have a chat with us first if thinking about leaving a gift of this nature.

That way we can ensure your gift has the impact you intend it to.

We know you will have an area of NHS Borders that is particularly close to your heart so with any of these types of gifts, you are free to restrict your forever thank you to a certain type of work we do.

But, services change over time so in fact, if you leave them unrestricted, it means we can use your gift to help where the need is greatest at the time.

If you would like to chat about restricting your gift, please email us at thedifference@borders.scot.nhs.uk

The good news is that any gifts left to charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax. On top of that, sometimes by including a gift to a charity you can reduce the tax on everything else you leave behind. But Inheritance Tax is a complex and often-changing area of law, so we advise you visit www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax for all the latest information and speak to a professional.

It's sensible to keep your Will in a safe place - and to tell your executors where it is. Many professional Will writers and solicitors offer to store your Will. Don't worry if your life or decisions change. It is simple to write a new Will that can change your instructions, or to update your Will using what's called a 'codicil.

For fundraising support, ideas or advice, please contact the fundraising team.

Due to the team working from home much of the time the best way to contact us is via email.

EMAIL hello@nhsbordershealthcharity.org

ADDRESS: NHS Borders Health Charity, Fundraising Office, NHS

Borders Headquarters, Borders General Hospital, Melrose, TD6 9BS

Our office hours are Monday - Friday: 9AM - 5PM