Remembering the CWGF - Leave a gift in your Will
When you leave a gift in your Will to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, you're helping keep alive a legacy stretching back over a century.
We've partnered with Bequeathed to make the process of leaving a gift in your will simple and hassle-free. Find out more here.
Help us tell Every Story, For Evermore
Every one of the 1.7 million men and women that we commemorate who died in the two World Wars had their own stories – their own lives, their own families.
They were someone’s brother, sister, son, daughter or parent. They were members of our communities, torn apart by war, and for many these connections are personal.
A gift in your Will can help us continue telling those stories for generations to come, so their sacrifice is not forgotten.
Sacrifices made by people like...
Find out more about how to leave a gift in your will
- Online - visit our partner site Bequeathed Support The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation with your Will For Good
- Email legacies@cwgc.org - send us a message and a member or our team will be in touch to discuss leaving a gift in your will
- Telephone (01628) 507178 - give our friendly team a call with any questions you may have
What impact will your gift have?
Without the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, the stories of these people – servicemen and women, firefighters, nurses and so many more – will one day be told for the last time.
By leaving a legacy in your Will, you can be a part of educating future generations and keeping these stories alive.
Gifts in Wills allow us to provide ongoing funding for projects like our Speakers and Tour Guides programme, training volunteers to engage with people of all ages across the UK and share the stories of the fallen.
With your support, we can ensure the sacrifices of Commonwealth service personnel are not forgotten, that their memories and their war graves and their memorials are preserved and that future generations understand the cost of freedom.
Keeping their memories alive
Find out more about how one supporter’s generous legacy is helping keep alive the memory of her grandfather.
Leaving a legacy to preserve his: Gill’s storyHow CWGF will use your donation
Legacies left in Wills to the CWGF ensures that the stories of those who died in the World Wars are kept alive for generations to come; that their sacrifices are not forgotten.
You can learn more about the type of projects we can support through generous donations on our Projects page.
Did you know...
- £10 could buy three hi-visibility vests to keep Eyes On, Hands On volunteers safe
- £25 could provide a welcome pack for one of Eyes On, Hands On volunteers to get them started in their role in helping us care for sites around the UK
- £40 could enable us to send one of our volunteer speakers to deliver an inspiring talk to a school or youth group
- £100 could contribute to the training of CWGC Guides so they are best able to welcome visitors, share the incredible stories of those we commemorate, and assist visitors on their journey of remembrance.
Free Will Writing
Having an up-to-date Will is the only way to be sure the people and causes you care about are looked after.
With our free Will writing service, through Bequeathed, you can make a start on your Will immediately. Just go online any time that suits you, register and complete the online Will interview. If you need help you can search hundreds of guidance articles, use online chat or book a support call.
Once the online interview is complete, you’ll receive online legal advice tailored to your circumstances. This will be in the form of recommendations, and sometimes requirements, from Bequeathed’s in-house Solicitor.
You can book a free legal appointment to discuss any of these in more detail, then decide if you’d like to go ahead with a free basic Will or pay for the additional protection discussed.
Or, as long as a free basic Will is suitable for your circumstances, you can choose the convenience of having your Will delivered straight to your inbox.
However you choose to complete it, you’ll receive your Will along with instructions on signing it correctly in front of witnesses. You’ll also receive a Letter of Advice summarising everything you’ve been told and setting out what your Will does and doesn’t do.
Please consider leaving a gift to the CWGF when you make your Will. Your generosity will help us to carry on our vital work long into the future.
Step-by-Step
- Register online
- Complete the online Will interview
- Receive online legal advice and recommendations
- Book a free legal appointment
- Decide to go ahead with a free basic Will or include additional protection
- Get your Will delivered straight to your inbox, alongside instructions and advice
Visit bequeathed.org/cwgf now to start making your Will.
Information for Executors & Solicitors
If you are planning to make a payment from a Will, please contact us on e-mail at legacies@cwgc.org or by telephone on 01628 507278.
If you make the payment using our online payment details, please get in touch to let us know so we can ensure the gift is properly recorded and acknowledged.
If you are writing a new Will, here are some steps you may find useful
Please note: the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation cannot offer legal advice. The information below is presented only for awareness. Please contact a solicitor or other appropriate legal service before making any Will or legacy commitments.
- Make a list of your possessions
- Tot up what you think they are worth
- Think if you would like to include any gifts for friends and family
- Are there any causes that are close to your heart that you would like to include a gift to
- Choose an Executor, who will be able to carry out your wishes
- Find a Solicitor or professional Will writing service to draw up your Will
If you are amending an existing Will… did you know?
If you already have a Will and wish to make a small amendment or update, you can do this without rewriting the full thing. Instead, you can amend it with a document called a Codicil.
This document serves as an appendix to your Will.
Types of gifts you can include in your Will
Residuary: this type of gift is a percentage or the whole of what remains of someone’s Estate once all other payments have been settled.
Pecuniary: this type of a gift is a fixed sum of money.
Specific: this type of gift can be an item or a possession such as jewellery or a book collection
Leave your Legacy
If you are thinking about leaving us a gift in your Will and would like to a little more about the process, discuss Will wording, or understand the potential impact of your gift, we would love to hear from you.
You can get in touch with us via:
Telephone: 01628 507278
Email: legacies@cwgc.org
If you have already left us a gift in your Will, please do contact us so that we can thank you for your support.
Leaving a Legacy - Frequently Asked Questions
A Will is a legal document that expresses a person's wishes as to how everything they own is to be distributed after their death; this includes property, money and other assets.
It also allows that person to decide who will manage the assets until their final distribution (Executor).
Writing a simple Will can cost around £100; there would be a higher cost for a more complex Will.
Your Will should be written by a professional – like a solicitor or a professional Will-writer, to identify any mistakes that could nullify your Will or cause delay when the time comes.
As a supporter of the CWGF you can take advantage of our free Will writing service. You are under no obligation to leave a gift to us, but even a small gift can have a tremendous impact on our ability to keep the memory of those who died in the World Wars alive.
To find out more about our free Will writing Service, please click here.
A gift in your Will to a charity can reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax payable. To find out more please visit HMRC/Government’s website.
Please note that the CWGF is unable to offer legal advice on this issue. For information on your individual tax situation, you should speak to a professional advisor.
You do not need to let us know if you have left a gift in your Will to the CWGF, but we are very grateful to those that inform us. We treat this information in complete confidence.
You can contact us by e-mailing legacies@cwgc.org or calling us on 01628 507278.
This means we can thank you for your support and can keep you updated on our work.
Donate Online Now
By donating to the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, you are helping us to keep the stories of the brave servicemen and women who died in the two World Wars alive. Can you help us ensure that their sacrifice is not forgotten?
Your donation enables us to continue sharing the inspiring stories of those like Ensign Violette Szabo, a brave SOE operative and spy who was executed in Ravensbrück concentration camp and posthumously awarded the George Cross. Violette is commemorated at our Brookwood Memorial.