Gifts in Wills

Leaving us a legacy is a touching way to enable your love and passion for pets to live on. In the past, it has been the generous legacies from several people that have enabled SCAS to continue when we might otherwise not have been able to. These donations will fund important research and support our campaigns into the future. 

Types of Legacy 

A residuary legacy is the remainder of the estate once other gifts and payments have been made. This type of gift is popular with our supporters because it remains proportional to the value of your estate. 

A pecuniary legacy is a fixed sum of money. The value of pecuniary legacies could decrease over time, as the cost of living increases. 

A specific legacy is a particular named item, e.g. a piece of jewellery or property.

A residuary legacy after a partner dies allows you to leave assets for the care of a loved one for the duration of their life. When they die, your legacy will then go to your chosen recipient. 

Steps to make a legacy gift to SCAS 

  1. Work out the value of your estate. 

  2. Decide on your beneficiaries, the people or organisations that you wish to leave property, possessions or money to. Many people choose to leave a residuary legacy to SCAS to ensure that family are provided for first. 

  3. Appoint your Executors. These are people named in your Will who are responsible for making sure your instructions are carried out. 

  4. Visit a solicitor to have your Will drawn up and executed. If you don’t have a solicitor, you can find a suitable solicitor and also some useful information about making a Will at the Law Society.  

  5. Make a copy of your Will for future reference and keep the original in a safe place. Your solicitor will sometimes store it without charge. 

  6. Make sure a relative or close friend knows where the original Will is stored. 

To ensure your wishes take effect, we strongly recommend that you take independent professional advice on the contents of your Will, including any bequest you decide to leave to SCAS. It is important that the charity is correctly identified and the extent of the legacy described in sufficient detail. We recommend that you take our suggested wording set out below to your professional advisor for their information. 

To leave a residuary legacy 

I give to the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), registered charity number 1070938 (England and Wales), of Headland House, Chord Business Park, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2BQ, [enter percentage] per cent of my residuary estate and I express the wish (but without imposing any binding obligation) that such estate be used for the general purposes of SCAS. 

The receipt of a Duly Authorised Officer of SCAS shall be a good discharge to my trustees for the gift. 

To leave a pecuniary legacy (cash sum) 

I give to the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), registered charity number 1070938 (England and Wales), of Headland House, Chord Business Park, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2BQ, the sum of [insert amount in figures and words] and I express the wish (but without imposing any binding obligation) that such estate be used for the general purposes of SCAS. 

The receipt of a Duly Authorised Officer of SCAS shall be a good discharge to my trustees for the gift. 

For further information, please contact info@scas.org.uk