Give hope. Give life
Leaving a legacy to Amos Trust

Our work — promoting the rights of Street Children in South Africa, Burundi, India and Tanzania, creating a just peace for Palestine and building sustainable rural communities in Nicaragua simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t receive financial help from you — our supporters.

Leaving a legacy to Amos in your will is one of the best ways you can do this but we understand that it’s something that some people might find hard to think about.

So we thought it might be helpful to share a story from someone who has already made this decision and to lay out in simple terms, what it actually means in practice. We’ve written a simple set of FAQs further down this page which explains things in very simple terms.

Read about how one of our supporters came to a decision about leaving a legacy to Amos Trust.

“The idea of leaving a legacy seems to belong to another century or at least to people who live in country mansions or Downton Abbey-type estates or stockbroker and banking new-rich city types. Not for me and way out of my league.

Legacies also mean making a will and making a conscious decision to leave money, and to face mortality — for me the struggle to say ‘one day I will die and this is what I want to happen with anything I’m leaving’ was hard... and it may be for some of you reading this.

So for years, I put my head in the sand relying on an out of date will that left my children with a guardian in the event of my demise but have never updated it. Apparently, there are 60% of us who do this. But last year I bit the bullet, found a solicitor and faced the existential dread.

And, it wasn’t complicated. What was interesting was thinking about ‘leaving money to a charity’. I’d been involved with Amos long enough to know that its work matters, and I wanted to acknowledge this.

But how much? And to a particular project, or general funds? How could my little amount make any difference anyway? How could I know that the Amos I support now will be an Amos I want to support at my death and does it matter?

Maybe I’m the only person feeling a bit lost and unsure about the idea of ‘legacy’. What difference does the promise of some money make — why is this donation with its unknown date important? What is the impact?

What I decided I need to do was talk with Amos — ask them how they see legacy giving and what will work for them, and me. When I look at what Amos does, with whom they work across the globe — with people suffering and struggling in ways I can’t imagine and don’t experience, then the decision is clear.

A renewed impetus to give what I can NOW and reassess regular giving and a step of faith to allocate money that yes, I won’t know its impact, whom it helps and how but I can know that Amos will carry on being in the places where its needed and it will be there because of people who give during and afterlife.”

Debbie, Amos Supporter

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Legacy FAQs

Writing your will
Writing your will is an opportunity to make sure that the people you love are provided for. But it is also the chance to make a difference. Having an up to date will is the only way to make sure that your family and friends, and any charities you care about, are provided for as you intended.

Writing a will can feel daunting and we hope that the FAQ’s below will help to alleviate some of your concerns and fears but if you have any further questions, please  do not hesitate to contact Amos Trust on +44 (0) 203 725 3493 or email us at [email protected] 

Thank you for thinking of Amos Trust as you take this important step.

Do I need a solicitor to write my will?
We recommend consulting a solicitor to make sure that all the legal formalities are correctly followed and your will is valid.

How do I choose a solicitor?
The Law Society can help you to find a solicitor in your area. For more information please visit lawsociety.org.uk

How much does it cost?
That varies depending on how complicated your will is. The solicitor should make it clear from the start how much they will charge.

Are there different ways that I can leave a gift?
Yes — there are three different types of gifts you can leave in your will: 

1. a residuary legacy is a share of the balance of your estate once all other payments have been made

2. a pecuniary legacy is a fixed amount of money

3. a specific legacy is a gift of a specific item, such as personal possessions, land, buildings or shares.

What information do I need to include when leaving a gift to Amos Trust?
Please include the following information:

Name:
Amos Trust

Address:
Room 11, St Margaret’s House, 15 Old Ford Road,
Bethnal Green, London E2 9PJ

Registered charity number 1164234

What about Inheritance Tax?
Inheritance Tax is currently paid to the government at a rate of 40% if your estate is worth more than £325,000 (as of 2013). The rate might be reduced to 36% if 10% or more of your estate is left to charity.

Most gifts left to us are exempt from Inheritance Tax because we're a charity. To find out more about Inheritance Tax, please visit HMRC or contact your solicitor.

Need more information?
If there’s anything else that you’d like to know about leaving a gift in your will, please call us on 020 7588 2638 or email us at [email protected]

Thank you.