Leaving a gift in your Will: what are your hopes for the future?

Four ActionAid supporters who have left a gift in their Will share their hopes for the future and what their gift might achieve.

Gifts in Wills are vital to futureproofing the activism of women’s rights organisations. This wouldn’t be possible without the vital support of those who choose to leave a legacy. 

Choosing to leave a gift in your Will is a very personal decision, ensuring that your loved ones are taken care of and your wishes and hopes for the future are remembered. 

We spoke to four of our pledgers, who have shared their own personal hopes for the gift left to us in their Will. 

Andrew: Ensuring long-term change

Andrew shared with us the type of legacy that he would like to leave behind. 

I think about the bigger picture of helping support communities’ in the long term and put sustainable projects in place for training, education, equality. That’s important for me, to ensure long-term change. We must remember that we’re part of a global community and whilst we obviously want to provide for our families and friends, I think it’s important to extend the remit wider to look to help those who don’t have anyone to help them. 

Ruth: Access to education

Ruth, a lifelong feminist, was clear in what she wants to support.

I'm very supportive of the focus that ActionAid has taken on women and girls. I think there is lots of evidence that if you educate women and give them access to health, that has the biggest impact on future generations. If women have access to education and information and things like family planning, communities will be in a much better position to change for the better. At a gut level and on an emotional level I am really pleased that my money will go towards supporting women and girls and projects that promote this.

Chris: A bigger impact on women and girls

Chris hoped his gift would lead to social change

 I would like to see ActionAid continue to support communities and create social change, using money to the best effect. Hopefully, we will be able to see a bigger impact on the lives of women and girls living in poverty in the years to come, with more girls completing their education and benefiting from changes in attitudes around gender roles in society, as well as increased trade and prosperity for people in their communities. 

Jill: ActionAid won't give up

Jill Turnton spoke about her relationship with and feelings towards ActionAid's work

We trust ActionAid to know where best to spend our gift and are content to support its priorities. I do have fears around the impact of climate change and anticipate that ActionAid will face very complex decisions as to what the priorities should be. I certainly don’t know the answer. All I can say with absolute confidence is that we shouldn’t give up because it’s too difficult and I know ActionAid won’t give up on those who need support.

Andrew, Ruth, Chris and Jill are choosing to make an investment in justice for future generations of women and girls. They are choosing to be part of something bigger. You can do the same by choosing to leave a gift in your Will.