How to leave the parish a legacy in your will

A legacy, also known as a bequest, is a simple gift made in your Will, to a person or organisation (such as a charity).

If you would like to make a gift to the parish in your Will, you will need to provide your Solicitor or Will maker with a few details, such as:

· Name: Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust

· Address: St Edmund’s House, Bishop Crispian Way, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 3QA

· Charity No: 246871

Depending on the type of gift you are leaving, your Solicitor will help with the wording.

You can choose to leave a gift to either the parish or the Diocese. But in both cases, the gift has to be to the Trustees of the Diocesan Trust. This is because the Diocese is the registered charity and so can benefit from the fact that legacies for charitable purposes are exempt from Inheritance Tax. The Bishop is the senior Trustee of the Diocesan Trust. However, if you wish your gift to benefit the parish, you can ask your Solicitor to use the particular wording which would enable this.