A Will is a legal document that lets others know your wishes after you have died. It’s a way of allocating your possessions and money and a place where you can record any funeral wishes and gifts to charities.

Without a Will you die “intestate.” This can create extra work for those you leave behind and could cause upset or hardship for grieving families.

If you have no surviving relatives, the whole estate will be allocated to the Crown which takes away your choice.

It’s natural for us to believe there’s plenty of time before we must take this important step, we all hope there is, but experience tells us that it’s never too early.

It’s a good idea to review your Will every five years and after any major life changes, such as:
• Marriage or divorce
• Birth of a child or grandchild
• Moving house
• If your executor is no longer suitable
• If the value of your estate has changed

If you already have a Will, it can easily be updated with what’s known as a codicil. It is very important to update your Will from time to time, to ensure it reflects your wishes and intentions.

Writing or updating your Will to include a gift to Claire House doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.

We have partnered with trusted Will writing providers the National Free Wills Network and Octopus Legacy to make writing or updating your Will even easier and free of charge.

We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your wishes. We can answer any questions you may have about gifts in Wills and can also offer a referral to the National Free Wills Network or Octopus Legacy Will writing services, who can offer you the opportunity to have a simple Will written or updated for free.

Please contact us on 0151 343 0883. We understand what a private matter this is, so anything we discuss will be completely confidential. You can find out more about this special way of giving, whenever you are ready, as both services are available all year round.

Gifts in Wills have become a significant part of our hospice income and we are extremely grateful when people choose to leave such a special gift.

3 in 10 children we care for are funded by gifts in Wills. Every gift can make a positive difference. Although some of the gifts we receive are large ones, the majority are not, and it is what all these gifts achieve together each year that makes them so important and so appreciated.

We will email you with details of the next steps depending on the Will writing partner you have selected.

We will be in touch in the next couple of weeks to see if you need any more information or help.

Please do contact us using the form if anything is unclear or we can help in any way or call us on 0151 343 0883.

You have made the first steps in organizing a Will and we aim to make the process as simple as possible for you.

There are three ways of including a gift in your Will.

• You can also choose to include a residuary gift, which is a percentage or share of the balance of your estate once all other payments and gifts have been made. You can include 1%, 100% or anything in-between. Including a share of your estate is a way of helping a charity in the future without having to decide on a precise sum today. A residuary gift is inflation proof.
• A pecuniary gift is a fixed amount of money of your choice.
• You can choose to include specific items in your Will, such as jewellery, household items or property.

Join us at our next Gifts in Wills event:

When: Thursday 9th October 2025

At: Thornton Hall Hotel, CH63 1JF

Time: 10.00am – 11.30am

RSVP: Please call us on 0151 343 0883 or email: giftsinwills@clairehouse.org.uk to book your place.

Places are limited, so please book early. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you would like to receive updates about our future events, please register your interest here.

Writing a Will ensures that your wishes are carried out, and that the people and causes you care about are looked after.

Think about the family, friends, and charities you’d like to remember in your Will. If you are thinking of including a gift to Claire House in your Will, we thank you for considering us for your special gift.

Once you have decided on your gift, your solicitor may ask you for our charity details to write your gift in to your Will. This ensures your gift comes to us correctly.

Registered Charity Number: 1004058

Claire House Children’s Hospice

Clatterbridge Road

Bebington,

CH63 4JD

You may have already included a gift for Claire House in your Will and if you have, thank you. We know your Will is personal to you. In most circumstances, we will not know you have left us a gift in your Will, until your Will is read.

If you wish your gift to remain private, you do not need to do anything. However, if you would like to let us know that you have included a gift to Claire House in your Will, we would welcome the opportunity to thank you and let you know how your gift can make a difference.

Please feel free to call us on: 0151 343 0883 to chat with us about your special gift or use our contact form. You can update us anytime to let us know which areas would be of most interest to you to hear more about, across the hospice. We want to make sure you always get the news and special updates you wish to receive.

We look forward to talking with you soon.

Please note if you require your Will to be written urgently, the National Free Wills Network provider option may not be appropriate. In this instance, we would suggest using Octopus Legacy online or over the phone service or speak directly to a local solicitor. Some solicitors are able to visit at care settings or at your home. There will be costs to using a solicitor, these will be discussed with you at your appointment. You can visit the law society website to find solicitors local to you at: Find a Solicitor - The Law Society

We want to say a special thank you to all our supporters who have remembered us in their Will. 3 in 10 children we care for are funded by gifts in Wills and we are always extremely grateful to hear that someone has chosen this special way to support Claire House.

Please let us know if you are an executor of a Will where Claire House Children’s Hospice has been included. It would be helpful if you could please let us have the following information:

• The full name and address of the person who has included a gift in their Will.

• Their date of death.

We will require some additional information, depending upon the type of gift:

Pecuniary Gift

• A copy of the Will (or the clause that mentions our gift).

Residuary Gift

• A full copy of the Will.

• A schedule of estate assets and liabilities once this is available.

• Copies of probate valuations for any property in the estate.

• Estate accounts at the end of the administration, and the opportunity to raise queries.

If you need help at any stage, our Legacy team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. However, it is important to mention that Claire House Children’s Hospice are unable to give any legal advice, and we would encourage you to contact a Solicitor.

You can contact us via email at: giftsinwills@clairehouse.org.uk or call us on 0151 343 0883.