Leaving a Legacy to Breath of Life

Your legacy will help us to fight lung disease

Breath of Life is the appeal arm of the North Staffordshire Respiratory Research Foundation, a local and independent charity which was set up in 1997. We operate in North Staffordshire because the incidence of chest and lung diseases, such as COPD (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), lung cancer, asthma and many more conditions is so high in this area.

Originally we funded research into the causes, treatments and cures of chest and lung diseases. Now, we also provide respiratory equipment to hospitals, clinics, GPs surgeries and patients’ own homes as well as encouraging people to take care of their lungs, for example by stopping smoking.

Most chest and lung conditions are still incurable and there is much work still to be done. Each research project can take up to 3 years to complete and can cost over £100,000 per year. Respiratory equipment can cost as little as £200 or over £100,000. Very little funding is available from national sources so we rely on the generosity of local people to help take our work forward.

All our funds are used within North Staffordshire although the effect of our research can have international impact.

Your legacy can make a lasting difference to people with lung disease

Download our Legacy Brochure

Why everyone should make a Will

Making a will is a simple and important way to protect the future of your family and loved ones. It is the only way to be certain that your money and belongings go to the people and causes you care about.

Many people wrongly believe that their house and other possessions will automatically go to their spouse. If your estate is worth more than the current limit for inheritance tax, including your home, this is not the case and if you are not married or do have not entered into a Civil Partnership, your partner gets nothing.

Even if you have a Will, you need to remember that when your circumstances change it may become out of date. For instance if you marry or re-marry, your old Will is automatically invalidated.

It is often difficult to afford to give as much as we would like to our favourite causes during our lifetime. By leaving a legacy, you can give very effective support to Breath of Life and at the same reduce the Inheritance Tax on your estate.

If you don’t leave a Will it’s the law that decides who gets what.

What to do Next

Making a Will is a simple process. Using a solicitor ensures that your estate is distributed according to your wishes and in the most tax efficient way.

You will need to choose an executor who can be a partner, close friend or professional advisor.

Before you meet your solicitor spend some time thinking about the things you own and how you would like to leave them.

If your life, or the life of someone you love has been affected by lung disease you may wish to make a legacy in your Will to help our work in coming years. There are three main types of gift that you can leave to Breath of Life.

A pecuniary gift is the gift of a fixed amount of money.

A residuary legacy is the whole or a percentage that is left from the estate when all other gifts, legacies, charges and debts have been deducted.

A specific gift is the gift of a particular item or property.

Your solicitor will discuss your wishes and advise you on the best way to word your Will. Many people do not realise that their estate may be liable for inheritance tax and are surprised, when their assets are added up at how much their estate is worth. A carefully prepared Will can reduce Inheritance Tax considerably and leaving a gift to a charity like Breath of Life can lower the amount of tax paid.

You can help Breath of Life and reduce the tax on your estate at the same time.

How to leave a legacy

Leaving a legacy to Breath of Life is straightforward. It can be done when you make your Will or if you already have one, you can add another clause to it, called a codicil.

You may choose to leave a fixed amount of money, a proportion of your estate, or something that you own. Your solicitor will include this into your Will, along with your other wishes.

It is important that the charity is correctly described, to avoid confusion with other charities so please make sure your solicitor is given the following details.

Breath of Life is the appeal arm of the North Staffordshire Respiratory Research Foundation (registered charity no.1063985) of Unit 6, Burslem Enterprise Centre, Moorland Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 1JQ
A legacy is a very precious gift that helps to ensure that our work of fighting lung disease in North Staffordshire continues into the future.

If you would like more information about leaving a legacy or help in finding a solicitor please contact us on 01782 577124 or complete our Contact Us form by clicking here