Page 6 - Devon and Dorset 2024

4 THE DEVONSHIRE AND DORSET REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
Please make sure you and your loved ones have
made Wills. Will ensures that your wishes are
carried out when you die. Yes, the saying goes
‘old soldiers never die’, but we know that’s wishful
thinking! Without a Will, everything you own is
likely to pass to your next of kin, but if you don’t
have a next of kin, it could pass to the government
which is probably not what you really want!
It is only right that your family and friends
should be considered first when it comes to
writing your Will, but many people like to specify
their funeral wishes in their Will, including floral
tributes or a collection for a favourite charity. For
family and friends, donating in this way can be
a welcome chance to do something positive at a
sad time. It can also be comforting for them to
know their loved one’s name, memory and values
will live on through the charity’s work. Therefore,
if you’d like to be commemorated in this way, you
can include instructions in your Will or write a
letter of wishes to be stored with your Will.
Many members of the Regiment under-
standably feel that it has done a great deal for them
over the years – by providing a set of standards
which have helped them achieve more in life
than they might otherwise have done; a source
of friends for life; maybe even welfare support in
their time of need – if nothing else some great
memories. By leaving something for the Regiment
in your Will you would be helping support your
colleagues and their activities in the future.
The Regimental Trust remains on a relatively
stable financial footing despite the difficulties
we’ve all suffered over the past few years due
to inflation, Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis, etc.
Our strategy was published in the 2021 Newsletter
(pages 32-34) and hasn’t changed.
WILLS AND LEGACIES
However, the Trustees are only too aware that to
remain strong and effective in the future we need
to grow our investments. We operate from day-to-
day by using the interest created by our financial
portfolio, as well as some Gift Aid and individual
donations. Our operating costs increase year-on-
year, not least because of the high rate of inflation,
but also, as you will all know, simply because
everything costs more. There is no sign of this
changing for the foreseeable future, so in an ideal
world we need to start increasing our capital
base – the amount of money we have invested.
This is where you come in.
One effective and simple way to keep the
Regiment on a sound financial footing is for you to
leave a legacy in your Will - after making provision
for your family, friends and matters important to
you. There are 3 ways to achieve this:
A Residuary Legacy is the whole (or a specific
portion or percentage) of an estate left over
after making other specified legacies (typically
to benefit family members, friends and other
charitable causes). This type of legacy is the
most valuable because its value is unaffected by
inflation.
A Pecuniary Legacy is a gift of a specific sum
of money. The value of this type of legacy will
decrease over time. However, it is possible to
Index-Link the sum of money in order to preserve
its value in spite of inflation. A solicitor would be
able to advise you on what wording to use to
achieve this.
A Specific Legacy is a gift of a particular item,
which can be sold or used by the Trust.
Legacies left to charities in Wills don’t need to be
large. Even a small percentage of your estate, left
THE REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION
The objects of the Regimental Association are:
1. To promote the efficiency of the Army by maintaining:
a. Contact between past and present members of The Regiment, fostering mutual friendship
between them and providing suitable social gatherings.
b. The espirit de corps and comradeship that members found whilst serving.
c. The traditions of The Regiment and to publicise and disseminate information concerning the
history, deeds and customs of The Regiment.
2. To alert The Rifles, who now manage welfare funds on behalf of its antecedent regiments,
to any welfare needs of past members of The Regiment and their dependants who are in
conditions of need, hardship or distress.
3. To encourage recruiting into The Rifles.
Further to the objects listed above, the Regimental Association Charity has power to take all
necessary action for publicising and disseminating information concerning the histories, deeds
and traditions of The Regiment and the former Regiments.
Note: “The Regiment” as mentioned above includes all earlier Regiments, such as the
Devonshire Regiment and the Dorset Regiment which amalgamated to create the Devon and
Dorsets, as well as any successor Regiment or unit, for example The Rifles.
as a gift, can make a really big difference.
The UK Government website (www.gov.uk/
inheritance-tax) explains in detail what tax
savings can be made in inheritance tax if you are
leaving a legacy to charity. Again, a solicitor could
advise you, or if you are preparing your own will
there is guidance at www.rememberacharity.org.
uk/leaving-a-gift/how-to-leave-a-gift-in-your-will
Your circumstances and priorities can change
over time so it’s important to check your Will
regularly and make sure it reflects your wishes.
Don’t forget that if you already have a Will, but
later decide to leave something to the Regiment,
you don’t need to write a complete new Will. You
can make a change to your existing one by writing
what is called a codicil. This is a legal name for an
amendment. It can be used to add a charitable
donation, change a gift amount, etc. If in doubt,
ask for advice from a solicitor or Will writer.
If you’d like to include us in your Will, here’s
some suggested wording your legal adviser
may like to use that includes all the essential
information.
TO LEAVE A SHARE OF YOUR ESTATE:
“I give …. per cent/share/all of my estate to
The Devonshire and Dorset Regimental Trust
(Registered Charity Number 1183992) to be used
for its general and charitable purposes.”
TO LEAVE A FIXED AMOUNT OR SPECIFIC ITEM:
“I give the sum of £……/the specific gift of my ………
to The Devonshire and Dorset Regimental Trust
(Registered Charity Number 1183992) to be used
for its general and charitable purposes.”
Of course, we shouldn’t forget our Museum,
which is also in need of support. If you would like
to leave something to The Keep in your Will, here’s
some suggested wording:
TO LEAVE A SHARE OF YOUR ESTATE:
“I give …. per cent/share/all of my estate to
The Dorchester Keep Military Museum Trust
(Registered Charity Number 1200607) to be used
for its general and charitable purposes.”
TO LEAVE A FIXED AMOUNT OR SPECIFIC ITEM:
“I give the sum of £……/the specific gift of my ………
to The Dorchester Keep Military Museum Trust
(Registered Charity Number 1200607) to be used
for its general and charitable purposes.”
We look once again to our greatest asset,
you, the membership of our Regimental
Association to go ‘that little bit further’ and
consider a legacy in your Will to support your
comrades. Thank you.