Including the GDST in your plans

Whether it is as part of a new will or in a short codicil to an existing will, it is straightforward to remember GDST or any of its schools with a legacy from your estate.

Forms of Legacy

There are four principal forms of legacy and tax relief is available for a gift to a charity for each.

A residuary gift

A residuary legacy enables you to give whatever remains of your estate after all bequests, debts and fees are met. You might choose to leave the whole or part of the residue to a particular beneficiary. Suggested wording for a gift to us is:

I give the residue (or a proportion of the residue) of my estate to the Girls’ Day School Trust (1872) of 100 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1JP, (registered charity number 306983)** and I declare that the receipt of its Secretary or other proper Officer shall be a complete discharge to my executors for this legacy.

A pecuniary gift

Pecuniary legacies are perhaps the most straightforward way of giving a bequest where you leave a specified sum of money to the named beneficiary. You can either specify that the value of the gift remains constant, or you can guard against inflation by instruction to your executors that the gift should be indexed linked. Suggested wording is:

I give (the sum of £X) to the Girls’ Day School Trust (1872) of 100 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1JP, (registered charity number 306983) ** and I declare that the receipt of its Secretary or other proper Officer shall be a complete discharge to my executors for this legacy. 

A specific (non-money) gift

This form of legacy allows you to leave particular items or assets to the named beneficiary, which are not in the form of money. These assets might include stocks and shares, property, works of art or other valuable items. It is important to review this type of will or codicil regularly, because your gift will lapse and fail if the asset is no longer part of your estate on your death.

Suggested wording is

I give my (full description of item and its location) to the Girls’ Day School Trust…. then text as above.

A reversionary gift

This type of legacy allows for your estate, or particular assets, to be passed onto your spouse, children or other named individuals, for their lifetime. On their death the whole or a portion of these assets revert to the beneficiary of the reversionary legacy. Since the detail of this type of legacies tends to be more complex than the forms above, it is best to consult your legal advisor regarding the appropriate wording.

Benefiting a School or a Particular Aspect of our Work