Legacies

Did you know that it is very easy to leave a financial legacy to the Bird Observatory? SBBOT is a registered Charity and by adding a simple bequest in your Will - or for most of us, adding a Codicil (a short addendum to your existing Will which is signed and witnessed ) asking that a sum or percentage of your estate be left directly to the Observatory, you can make a real difference to our future.

Legacies to Registered Charities are free from Inheritance Tax for a start! In some cases (where a gift is 10% or more of one’s estate) it may reduce the rate of  Inheritance Tax on larger estates from 40% to 36%.

However for most of us, leaving a sum to the Bird Observatory is a wonderful way to be remembered by your friends and family. Your legacy could be used to help the Observatory improve its facilities, acquire land or even build new hides or scrapes!

Many Charities rely on donations and legacies to support their financial running costs and this enables membership fees to be kept low and services improved.

All legacies or bequests however large or small would be gratefully received by the Observatory and unless you wish to remain anonymous, your name would be listed in our Annual Report as a financial contributor to the long term security of SBBOT.  Where possible larger legacies may be recognised in accordance with your wishes or that of your next of kin.

If you haven’t made a Will then that’s a good starting point. If you have already made a Will then adding a simple codicil is very easy. It’s important to get it right and so we would always recommend speaking to a Solicitor. We have a sample Codicil which you can print off and complete - see below.

Some members and their families have kindly asked that instead of flowers at a funeral, donations are made to Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust instead, in recognition of the many happy times they spent over the years at the Bird Observatory. This is a very nice way to help support the our future.