Gifts in Wills • Legacy Giving

Leave a Lasting Legacy for Our Commons

Leaving a gift in your Will to The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons ensures that 256 acres of ancient woodland, open heath, and iconic sandstone rocks remain protected, free, and flourishing for generations to come.

Information for Your Solicitor Types of Gifts Inheritance Tax Benefits Confidential Enquiry
Protecting the Commons Forever

A Living Gift for Future Generations

Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons have been treasured community spaces for centuries. From quiet morning walks beneath ancient oaks to children scrambling over Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock, the Commons provide health, solace, and wild nature right on our doorsteps.

By leaving a legacy to The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, you establish a permanent conservation endowment. Your gift helps us maintain veteran trees, restore eroded sandstone paths, conduct vital wildlife surveys, and defend the land against commercial exploitation or private development pressure.

“Legacies need not be large: even a modest amount or a small percentage of your estate makes a transformative difference to our work on the land.”

What Your Legacy Supports

  • Ancient Woodland & Veteran Tree Care: Specialist arboricultural stewardship, storm damage repairs, and planting native species.
  • Sandstone Rocks & Path Network: Restoring eroded footpaths, drainage improvements, and protecting historic outcrops like Toad Rock and Happy Valley.
  • Biodiversity & Ecological Habitats: Funding scientific surveys for bats, rare fungi, nightingales, and native pollinators.
  • Community Land Defense Fund: Ensuring the charity has legal and financial reserves to safeguard freehold common land in perpetuity.
Ways to Give

Types of Gifts You Can Leave in Your Will

When updating your Will or adding a simple codicil, there are three primary ways to remember the Commons:

Most Impactful

A Residuary Gift

A share (or all) of whatever is left of your estate once debts, administrative fees, and specific gifts to your loved ones have been distributed.

Key benefit: Naturally keeps pace with inflation over time, whether you leave 1%, 5%, or 50% of the remainder.
Fixed Amount

A Pecuniary Gift

A specific fixed sum of money stated in your Will (for example, £500, £2,500, or £10,000).

Key benefit: Simple and clear. Your solicitor can link this to the Retail Price Index (RPI) if you wish to preserve its real value.
Assets & Property

A Specific Gift

A particular asset bequeathed to the charity, such as shares, property, land, or valuables to be realised for conservation purposes.

Key benefit: Allows specific investments or holdings to directly advance conservation in Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall.
UK Tax Efficiency

Inheritance Tax Relief on Charitable Gifts

As The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons is an independent registered charity, any gift you leave in your Will is exempt from UK Inheritance Tax (IHT).

Gifts to charity are deducted from the value of your estate before tax is calculated, reducing your overall liability.

The 10% Inheritance Tax Rate Reduction

Under UK tax rules, if you leave 10% or more of your net estate to registered charities, the Inheritance Tax rate applied to the remainder of your taxable estate is reduced from 40% down to 36%. This can significantly reduce the tax bill for your other beneficiaries.

Speaking with a Professional

Estate planning and probate law can be intricate. We always recommend consulting a qualified solicitor or a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) before making or amending your Will.

Adding a Codicil to an Existing Will

If you already have a Will, you often do not need to rewrite it completely. Your solicitor can prepare a simple legal document called a codicil to add a gift to The Friends in just a few minutes.

Legal Details

Official Details for Your Solicitor

To ensure your gift reaches the charity without delay or confusion, your solicitor will need our exact legal name, registered charity number, and official address:

Official Charity Record

The Friends of Tunbridge Wells & Rusthall Commons

Charity Registration Number
1013975 (England & Wales)
Official Registered Address
The Honorary Treasurer, Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, c/o Mike Trudel, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Suggested Wording Clauses for Wills and Codicils:

For a Pecuniary Gift (Fixed Sum):
“I give free of all taxes to The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons (Registered Charity No. 1013975), c/o The Honorary Treasurer, Mike Trudel, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the sum of £_____ for its general charitable purposes, and I declare that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executors.”
For a Residuary Gift (Share of Estate):
“I give free of all taxes _____ per cent (_____%) of the residue of my estate to The Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons (Registered Charity No. 1013975), c/o The Honorary Treasurer, Mike Trudel, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, for its general charitable purposes, and I declare that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge to my Executors.”
Strictly Confidential

Discuss Your Intentions in Confidence

You are under no obligation to inform us of your decision. However, if you are considering a gift in your Will, letting us know allows us to thank you during your lifetime and keep you closely updated on our long-term conservation plans.

All conversations and enquiries are treated with the utmost discretion and privacy by our Trustees.

Prefer Direct Email or Letter?

You can write to the Trustees or Honorary Treasurer directly:

  • Email: treasurer@fotcs.org.uk
  • By Post: The Honorary Treasurer, Friends of Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, c/o Mike Trudel, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

Confidential Legacy Enquiry

Fill out the form below and a Trustee will contact you in confidence.

Never shared with third parties. Handled with absolute discretion.