We've been changing young lives for over fifty years. Your gift will mean we can continue our vital work in ensuring every child growing up in care have the love, support and opportunities they deserve.
A gift of lifelong support
Young people in care have been through incredibly difficult challenges during their childhood. Then, at just 18 years old, most are expected to leave their children’s home and foster families to manage in the world on their own, with very little support.
It's vital that we can continue to give young people the safe and loving childhood they all deserve. And, just as any healthy family should, be there as they take those steps into independence and walk alongside them for as long as they need.
Pledging a gift of just 1% of your estate can help us continue this life-changing work.
“Most people have never been in care. They’ll have a Dad, they’ll have a Mum. We don’t have that sort of support from our family members. As sad as that is, it’s the reality of our lives.”
- Break young person
Why pledge a gift in your Will
Making your wishes clear in your Will can make it easier on friends and family later on.
People pledge a gift for many reasons. It could be dedicated to someone you know who received support from us, maybe our short breaks service was your lifeline at times, or perhaps you have empathy for the challenges our care leavers face because you’ve experienced difficult times too.
Whatever the reason, your donation can help ensure that we can be there for young people and families, when they really need it, for as long as they need.
What type of gift you can leave
There are several kinds of gift you can leave. It can be a cash gift, an individual item such as an antique or piece of jewellery, a property, or a share of your estate.
By pledging a gift in your Will you are helping us to:
Enable young people to talk through their trauma by providing tailored therapeutic support to meet their unique and often complex needs.
Raise their aspirations by providing opportunities so they can reach their full potential and expand their horizons.
Walk beside them as they prepare to leave care, and be there for them when they need us – like any good family would.
Next steps
We know this is a big decision. You can discover more about giving a gift in your Will and the impact your gift can make in our free Gift in Wills information pack.
Or speak to us directly by contacting our Legacy Lead, Tracey. Everything will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Email: changinglives@break-charity.org
Call: 07584 446331
Alternatively, you can take our charity number (286650) to your solicitor to tell them you would like to leave a gift in your Will to Break.
We recommend you seek professional legal advice before making any changes to your Will.
Our promise to you is to do the right thing with your gift so we can walk alongside our young people for as long as they need us.
FAQs
Making a Will is a simple process that most solicitors will be able to assist with. The Law Society offers a free ‘Find a Local Solicitor’ service which can be found at The Law Society’s website: www.lawsociety.org.uk, or by calling them on 020 7320 5650.
In your Will you need to ensure you state what you would like to gift and to include Break in your Will you will need to give your legal advisor our registered charity name and number which is: Break, registered charity number 206650.
It's important for everyone over 18 to create a Will, particularly if you have dependents. It’s a good idea to update it regularly as life changes, such as the birth of children, marriage, or the loss of a loved one. Having an up-to-date Will provides you and your family reassurance that you've made plans for the people and things you care about.
We would be grateful for the chance to thank you for thinking of us. Please do get in touch. Rest assured, all details will be kept strictly confidential, and we will never inquire about the specifics of your gift.
Your solicitor or legal professional can support you with this. They will update your existing Will with your changes by adding an additional page called a Codicil to it.
At the time of writing, UK-registered charities are exempt from IHT so leaving a gift to Break in your Will would reduce the taxable value of your estate.
Before creating or amending your Will we recommend you speak to your legal adviser who will explain how the current rules apply to you and your circumstances.
We would recommend that you to speak to your solicitor or legal professional who will be able to advise you on how best to do this.
100% of your pledge will go towards to he charitable work that we do for young people growing up in care.
Currently, we do not offer a free Will writing service. However, we are excited to share that this service will be available soon! If you’d like to be among the first to know when this service launches, please let contact us at changinglives@break-charity.org and we’ll keep you informed.
We understand that you may wish to direct your gift to a specific service, and we encourage you to contact us to discuss your preferences.
However, it’s essential that we use donations where they will make the greatest difference to the young people and families we support. The needs of those we serve can change over time and we promise that all donations will be used thoughtfully and directed to where they are needed most.
As a charity we cannot give legal advice. We recommend speaking to a solicitor or an independent legal professional about your Will.
To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will contact our Legacy Lead, Tracey at changinglives@break-charity.org or call 07584 446331