How to include ActionAid in your Will
Your free guide to making or updating a Will
Our Gifts in Wills Guide contains practical information and inspiring stories about our work and the wonderful people who help make it possible.
You can download your copy here or get in touch with our helpful legacy team to receive a printed version.
Download our Gifts in Wills Guide
Writing a Will in Scotland
We also have our important information About Will-writing in Scotland factsheet for friends north of the border, where the laws surrounding Will-making are different from those in England and Wales.
In Scotland you can write a Will from the age of 12 upwards
You can act as Executor from the age of 16
Under Scots law your spouse or civil partner and descendants have certain claims on your estate, even if you have a Will in place
Your estate is divided into heritable property (land and buildings) and moveable property (bank accounts, investments, art, jewellery, your car and other assets)
And shared assets are valued differently in Scotland than in England and Wales.
Download our Will-writing in Scotland guide
To receive printed copies of our guides you can email us at legacies@actionaid.org or call us on 01460 238000
What information do I need to include in my Will to ensure my gift reaches ActionAid?
Your solicitor will need our registered details, which are:
Our registered name: ActionAid UK
Our registered address: 33-39 Bowling Green Lane, London, EC1R 0BJ
Our registered charity number: 274467 (England and Wales) or SC045476 (Scotland)
What are the different types of gift I can leave in my Will?
Legacy gifts come in all shapes and sizes, but each one makes a difference and is greatly appreciated. Here are the main types of legacy our friends like to leave:
A share of your estate
Also known as a residuary legacy, this type of gift allows you to leave a portion of what’s left of your estate after your debts and funeral costs have been paid and your cash and specific legacies have been given out.
Many people like to leave at least one residuary gift in their Will as a way of protecting against partial intestacy, in case any forgotten assets are not accounted for in their Will.
A cash gift
The gift of a specific amount of money is known as a pecuniary legacy. Some of our friends like to index-link their pecuniary gift in line with inflation to protect its value over time. Your solicitor will be able to help you with this.
A specific item
You can also leave a particular item to charity in your Will such as a piece of jewellery, an antique, collectibles, a vehicle or a property. If leaving a specific gift, please include a clear description in your Will to avoid confusion when the time comes.
A reversionary gift
If you’re worried that leaving a gift to charity might adversely affect your family, you might like to ask your adviser about leaving a reversionary, or life interest, legacy. A reversionary gift allows you to you leave an asset to a family member for them to use during their lifetime, before it passes (free from Inheritance Tax) to a charity.
Finding a solicitor
ActionAid’s free Will-writing service offers our friends the opportunity to write a simple Will for free. To find out more, visit our Will-writing service page.
Readers in England and Wales can also visit the Law Society’s website to find a solicitor in your area.
You can search by specialism (we recommend selecting Wills, Trusts and Probate) as well as by town or postcode. Website: www.solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.
Friends in Scotland can visit the Law Society of Scotland’s website, call 0131 226 7411 or write to the address below.
The Law Society of Scotland, 144 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EX
"I found it incredibly easy"
Jackie Shead, an ActionAid supporter since 1986, told us why she chose to leave a gift in her Will to ActionAid.
“Once I had included my family in my Will, I decided that leaving something for future generations of people and communities that I have supported during my lifetime would be a great thing to do.
"I have always been very impressed with the way ActionAid uses its money and the longevity of my association and trust in ActionAid led me to choose them. Leaving a gift in my Will to ActionAid felt like the ultimate long-term impact I could have. I found it incredibly easy to leave a gift in my Will and to anyone thinking about writing theirs I would say ‘Do it!'"
"I always dreamt to train as a cook."
Muaziza, 39, is a mother of four rebuilding her life in Nampula, northern Mozambique, after a cyclone destroyed her home, crops and belongings in Cabo Delgado. Displaced with her family, she now lives with her husband, children, mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Determined to start again, Muaziza enrolled at the Alberto Cassimo Institute of Vocational Training and Labor Studies (IFPELAC), an ActionAid partner, fulfilling her lifelong dream to train as a cook. “I always dreamt to train as a cook,” she says. There, she learned to make biscuits, cakes and sauces.
After completing the course, she launched a small business selling baked goods, often working at night after finishing housework, with support from her children.
Muaziza now hopes to grow her business by buying essential equipment like an oven and mixer, and securing a permanent stand.
Your legacy can help women affected by climate disasters in rebuilding their lives through new skills and opportunities.
Muaziza is a mother of four who runs a small business selling biscuits and other baked goods in Nampula, a city in Northern Mozambique
Dilayla Romeo/ActionAid
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our work, leaving a legacy or making your Will, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to help.
Email: Legacies@actionaid.org.uk
Telephone: 01460 238000
Write to us: The Legacy Team, ActionAid, Chard Business Park, Jarman Way, Chard, TA20 1FB
Page updated 5 May 2026
