Gifts in wills
Leave a gift to Scouts in your will so the next generation can enjoy all that Scouts has to offer.
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By leaving a gift in your will to Scouts, you’ll be providing skills for life for future generations enabling them to make new friends, and take on new and exciting challenges.
Your gift means that more young people will have the chance to learn skills and make memories that will be with them for life. Thank you.
How your gifts make a difference
Your gift will support Scouts in so many ways, such as:
- Start-up grants for new groups.
- Buying camping equipment.
- Creating new and exciting activities.
- Going on adventures in the great outdoors.
We have partnered with will writing experts, Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel), to give Scouts supporters the opportunity to write their wills for free.
All we ask is, after you’ve looked after family and friends, if you would consider leaving a gift in your will to The Scout Association.
With our online form and on-hand support from the experts, it's much easier than you think. Postal and face-to-face meetings are available.
Making a will is important
Making your will provides great comfort to you, knowing your loved ones and charities you care about will be looked after, after you’ve gone.
If you die without a will, usually referred to as 'intestate', your money and possessions may not go to the people or causes close to your heart.
It's also important to keep your will up to date. You may need to review your will should your circumstances change, such as getting married, losing a loved one or becoming a grandparent.
Six steps to help make the process easier
It’s important to know how much your estate and assets are worth. Make sure you include property, investments and any debts.
Estate agents can provide free valuations to get you started on your property. Contact your solicitor, bank, stockbrokers and anyone else that has access to your finances.
Think about your family, friends and your favourite charities, and decide how you’d like to divide your estate. You can give specific items to certain individuals, or you can simply divide your estate between a number of people or charities. Others assign specified amounts of money, land or assets to Scouts. This is known as a specific gift.
Note: To leave a contribution to UK Scouts, please reference ‘The Scout Association’ in your will and use registered charity number 306101.
To support a local Scout Group, please make sure you state the full name of the Scout Group and their charity registered number.
Executors are the individuals responsible for making sure your wishes are fulfilled. They’re named in your will.
There are a range of ways to do this. You can go and visit your solicitor who will draw up your will. Alternatively, you can use our free will partner Octopus Legacy. This'll enable you to write your will online, by phone or face-to-face at no cost to you.
Everyone's circumstances are different, so it's important to get reliable professional advice for the best options available to you when writing a will.
Your solicitor or online provider will often look after your will for you, but you may wish to retain a copy too. Make sure it’s kept in a secure, private location. Tell a relative, close friend or solicitor where the original copy of your will is stored.
Your will should be kept private and you don’t need to disclose any of your intentions. However, some supporters complete a pledge form to give Scouts an idea of their legacies so we can thank you properly. Thank you so much if you’ve already left a gift in your will.
If you already have, or are considering leaving a gift in your will to Scouts, fill out a form and contact our team on giftinwills@scouts.org.uk.
Jean Butler loved Scouts and all the fun, friendship and skills she gained along the way. Martin, her son, talks about what Scouts means to the whole Butler family who continue to enjoy generations of adventure.
Your pledge
'Making a pledge to leave a gift in your will enable Scouts to plan for the future. Gifts in wills could support more young people taking part in outdoor activities in areas where Scouts is needed most.'