Painshill Park Trust is participating in Remember A Charity in Your Will Week (5th – 11th September) – an annual awareness week which aims to encourage people to leave a gift to charity.
Kind-hearted Brits left gifts in Wills to 10,670 different charities last year, the highest number recorded over the past decade, according to research marking the start of Remember A Charity Week.
Gifts in Wills are a critical source of funding for charitable services across the country, raising more than £3 billion for good causes annually.
To mark this week, we spoke to Painshill Trustee Louise Russell of what Painshill means to her and why she choose to leave a gift in her Will.
“Painshill has been an important part of my life. I am passionate about the beauty and history of the landscape, and it really does have a unique, magical quality of its own. It is wonderful to have Painshill on my doorstep and I never tire of walking there with friends and family and encouraging others to experience its splendour or feel its peace and restorative qualities.
As an independent registered charity, Painshill Park Trust is committed to restoring and maintaining the historic gardens and buildings at Painshill, so it can continue to be enjoyed for by future generations. For the past seven years I have been privileged to be a trustee of Painshill so I know first-hand what a difference a legacy can make.
The Trust has come such a long way since 1981 but fulfilling the potential of Painshill will take many, many years and there will always be a need to maintain what has been created. Legacies, whether large or small, are unexpected and uplifting for those charged with caring for Painshill and I have seen how they can open doors and bring new opportunities. I would like to feel that a gift in my will could help protect Painshill in the future so that the next generation and beyond can continue to enjoy its magic as I have done.
This is the first will I have written, and I followed the details on the Painshill website where, as a member of Remember a Charity, supporters of Painshill benefit from a 20% discount on will-writing through the Co-Operative Legal Services. I was delighted to find that the process was extremely convenient and quick. It started with a phone call from a solicitor who went through all I wished to communicate and then I was emailed a draft copy of my proposed will for any amendments before a final version was sent out to me by recorded delivery. It really couldn’t have been more straightforward.
Remember a Charity week is a really good time to consider whether you could leave a legacy to support Painshill. I am happy that I have finally sorted out my will, something it’s all to easy to put off to another day, and in so doing I’ll also help support the future of the place that has brought me so much joy over so many years.”
Gifts in Wills are vital for most charities and Painshill is no exception. Painshill simply wouldn’t be here without the incredible support of our communtiy and gifts that supporters have included in their Will.
