Become a guardian for the next generation with a gift in your will.

Transcription

1 Become a guardian for the next generation with a gift in your will. Everything you need to know. 1

2 Thank you for thinking about leaving a gift in your will and becoming a guardian for the next generation Since 1884, people like you have helped us lead the fight against cruelty to children. We ve come so far since then, but there s still a lot more to do. So I d like to thank you again for expressing an interest in our future, and how we can continue to help be there for every child. A lot can change in a short amount of time 20 years ago, no one would have predicted the expansion of the online world and the new opportunities and threats it brings to children. If something so important could happen in the last 20 years, then we must also be prepared for what happens in the next 20 and beyond. Many of our supporters like you have concerns for the next generation that s why they choose to leave a gift in their will to the NSPCC. 1 in every 5 donated to us is through gifts in wills Beyond looking after the people closest to you, your will offers you a chance to shape the world that you ll pass on. One fifth of our donations come from gifts in wills, which is why they are so crucial towards planning for the future. What next? That s why we ve worked hard to make it easier than you might think. This pack is full of useful information about our organisation, and how you can leave a gift in your will to keep the children of the future safe from abuse and neglect. When children are protected from abuse and neglect, their potential is limitless. I d like to extend my gratitude to you again for thinking about leaving a gift in your will. We know your time is very valuable, so thank you again for sparing a moment to read through this pack. Thank you, A gift in your will can seem like a daunting process at first, with a lot to consider. Peter Wanless, Chief Executive 2

3 Contents About the NSPCC A quick history The work we do...6 Our supporters and the people we help About leaving a gift in your will How a gift can help...14 Types of gift...15 What to do next How to leave a gift...16 Some extra information...17 Our promises to you

4 About us a quick history of the NSPCC Throughout our history we ve kept children safe from abuse and neglect. We ve advised governments, campaigned for reform and put issues on the agenda. None of this would have been possible without the vision, dedication and support of people like you. With your help, we can continue this work and help be there for every child in the future s 1970s 1986 The NSPCC is formed NSPCC given powers to remove children from abusive homes NSPCC starts helping with wartime evacuation plans Ensuring children s needs are a part of the welfare state Establishing centres of training, research and excellence Childline founded 4

5 NSPCC integral in the setting up of a new Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) to investigate allegations of online child abuse Protecting a generation of children through the NSPCC Schools Service Partnering with the Met on Operation Yewtree Launched our successful Flaw in the Law campaign, which helped to change the law and make it a crime for an adult to send a sexual message to a child in England and Wales Through the Are You There? campaign we called on the Government to increase its funding for Childline, so we can be there for every child struggling with their mental health. Our #WildWestWeb campaign also called on the Culture Secretary to make social media a safer place for children 5

6 The problems we face today Uncovering and responding to abuse over the past 5 years: Police 1 recorded sexual offences * - up 144% Police 1 recorded cruelty and neglect offences ** - up 95% Police 1 recorded indecent image offences - up 410% Number of children identified as needing protection from abuse - up 16% * U18 for England and NI, U16 for Scotland and Wales. ** U16 all of UK. 1 Increases are partly due to greater awareness of abuse, increased willingness to report and take action against abuse and better recording of incidents. What we re doing to fight child abuse and neglect In 2016/17, our helpline responded to over 66,000 contacts from people with concerns about a child s welfare In 2016/17, we engaged with nearly 1,600 organisations to improve their safeguarding In 2016/17, there were over 295,000 Childline counselling sessions with children and young people In 2016/17, we helped make over 1.8 million children safer 6

7 By leaving a gift in your will, you ll support the vital work we do We re preventing abuse from ruining childhood Even when families are going through incredibly difficult times, like addiction or mental health problems - with the right help a child can thrive. That s why we re offering all kinds of support to families around the UK and Channel Islands from antenatal care for new parents, to helping mums and their children recover from domestic abuse. We re visiting schools In 2016/2017, the NSPCC visited over 7,800 schools and spoke to over 1.6 million children, so that they know how to keep themselves safe from harm and abuse. We protect children in immediate danger On average, our helpline responds to 180 contacts a day from people with concerns about a child s welfare. We understand how upsetting it can be to think that a child is in danger, and that it s difficult to know what to do next. That s why our helpline is open 24 hours a day and is staffed by professional practitioners so we re ready to respond to concerns about children s welfare as soon as possible. We re giving children a voice Our 24/7 Childline service is here for children online and on the phone to talk, whatever their worry, big or small, whenever they need help. On average, a child contacts Childline every 25 seconds, and we keep the lines open and listen to what they have to say 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We re standing up for children We have a long history of speaking truth to power. So if a law needs to change or if more needs to be done to protect children, our supporters help us make it happen. Like in 2014, when we launched the successful Flaw in the Law campaign to call for a clear new offence that would make it always illegal for an adult to send a child a sexual message. 7

8 How we re changing with the times Research and learning All of our work is based on the latest research to make sure we re up to date with the newest developments in child safety. Our services are constantly evaluated and monitored, and this evidence is shared with the government and professionals to make sure our findings are put to good use. 8 The changing digital world Partnerships The internet has increased the ways that abusers can groom, exploit and threaten children. That s why we re a major partner of the CEOP who bring together police and child protection experts to help bring offenders to justice. We also try to partner with leaders in their field so that children are kept safe. In 2016/17 over 7,000 parents attended an 02 and NSPCC online safety workshop. We also helped nearly 1,600 organisations protect children, by providing expert safeguarding advice.

9 Why supporters decide to leave gifts in wills in their own words I can t bear the thought of helpless children being abused or neglected. This is why I contribute monthly to the NSPCC, and have now bequeathed a lump sum in my will. This is so they can keep protecting and nurturing kids who need it. I chose to leave a gift to the NSPCC in my will because of my experiences as a child. The abuse was such a big part of my life and I can t think of another charity I d want to leave a gift to. I never got any help during my childhood but I can do something to help children now. I might not ever see the difference that my gift is making but I know I m doing something and it feels great. Andrew Rita We used the will writing service offered by NSPCC and have included a gift to them in both my and my husband s wills. We have always supported children s charities since adopting our own two children several years ago. When you hear about the type of abuse going on and the things that some children have to suffer then we just need to step up and do something to help. Janet and David 9

10 People helped by the NSPCC A fifth of our donations come from people who leave gifts in their wills to the NSPCC. Find out how these gifts are put to great use to help children and their families. 10

11 John s story* The house was a state. There were broken windows and we had no wallpaper. We always had lots of people in the house too. They d arrive at weird times like 2am or 6am and be really noisy. My dad had told me my mother was in prison for drugs and I slowly began to realise that he was a drug user too. I d spend a lot of time in my room to get away from my dad and his friends taking drugs downstairs. He never came to tuck me in; instead he d pass out on the sofa. I felt so lonely, and scared. I was only young, but I felt a huge sense of responsibility. Dad would give me a couple of pounds as pocket money or for food and then he d ask for it back. He d spend as much as 40 a day on heroin, but only 20 a fortnight on food. When I was about nine, a man overdosed in my house. Soon after that I was referred to the NSPCC s FEDUP (Family Environment: Drug Using Parents) programme which does group work with children whose parents have drug or alcohol problems. I was a bit nervous the first time I went to the NSPCC s FEDUP service. The nerves didn t last long though I loved it. We played games together with our NSPCC worker Sally. Over time, I was able to get things off my chest instead of bottling my feelings up. I learnt what experiences other people in the group had as well, so I didn t feel so alone. The NSPCC gave me the consistency that was missing in my life. Going there made me want to help other people and now I m going to university to do a social work degree. Before being helped by the FEDUP programme I wasn t living properly, I was just going through the motions. But the NSPCC made me feel like there was a new world out there. *DISCLAIMER: Names have been changed to protect identities. Any photographs are posed by models. 11

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13 Jennifer s story* Jennifer helps children who have experienced sexual abuse to recover through the NSPCC s Letting the Future In service. Here s a story that stands out to her: When seven-year-old Ella* first came through the door, she walked with her eyes down like she didn t want to be seen. She thought that people could tell that she d been abused and see all the badness inside her. Over time, Jennifer and Ella played out a story about a princess who had been tricked by a witch. The witch trapped the princess, and made her eat poisonous food. For Ella, this was a safe way for her to communicate the abuse she d suffered. It provides distance from their real life experience Jennifer explains. These stories have a lot of emotional energy for children. By playing, they can get that cathartic release. It frees them up. Jennifer helped Ella to create a wise wizard character. The wizard explained to the princess that she was a good person inside, that the witch was wrong to trick her and hurt her. He helped her realise it wasn t her fault. One day Ella picked up a magic wand in the playroom. Jennifer suggested that when the princess held the wand, the power of the magic came from inside the princess. When she held the wand, she realised she was good on the inside, and a very strong person. Ella s stories started to change. Instead of being tricked by the witch, she put a magic spell on her so that if she tried to hurt anyone else she would turn into a frog. By the end of Jennifer s time with her, Ella would arrive with a big smile and chat to people in the service centre. She didn t feel like she had to hide anymore. I see how sexual abuse can be so destructive to people, and it doesn t need to be. I think this is the window of opportunity if we can get in now, it makes such a big difference. *DISCLAIMER: Names have been changed to protect identities. Any photographs are posed by models. 13

14 How a gift in your will could help Your gift, no matter what size it is, will make a huge difference to the next generation. It s a common misunderstanding that leaving money to a charity is something that only the rich and famous do. But the truth is that people from all walks of life often leave gifts to causes they care about. Last year, over a fifth of our money from supporters came from gifts in wills. Here are a few examples of how your money could go a long way to making children safer: 500 could pay to run our adult helpline service for an average of one hour, enabling us to answer contacts from adults with concerns about a child s welfare or safety. 1,000 could pay for our trained volunteer counsellors to answer 250 children s calls for help to Childline which is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Talking to Childline can be the first step that gets a child s life back on track. 5,000 could pay for us to answer 1,000 calls to the NSPCC helpline from people concerned about a child. This can often bring a child to the attention of children s services for the first time. 20,000 could pay for a practitioner for six months, supporting parents and families in caring for their children, such as in our Minding the Baby service, in which practitioners visit young mums once a week, providing practical support like feeding tips, help with housing or financial advice. 30,000 could pay for the cost of running Childline for one day. 60,000 could pay for a practitioner for 18 months, helping protect young people who have been sexually exploited or are vulnerable to exploitation through our Protect and Respect service. 100,000 could pay for the NSPCC Speak out. Stay safe. programme to visit 175 primary schools and speak to every child aged 5-11, giving them the knowledge to protect themselves from abuse. 14

15 Why wills are so important A will is a legal document that lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions after your death. Primarily, it s the best way to make sure your friends and family are provided for. We understand that this is the most important thing to consider first. After you ve made sure of that, a gift in your will is an opportunity to make a final and lasting gift to a cause you care about. In some cases, leaving a gift to charity in your will can help reduce the amount of inheritance tax that needs to be paid on your estate. If you d like to know more about this, we recommend discussing it further with a legal professional. Types of gift: A share of your estate (residuary gift) This is a percentage of everything you own, minus any debts. This is a good thing to think about if you know you want to make a commitment, but don t necessarily know what your future finances might look like. A cash gift (pecuniary gift) This is when you leave a set sum of money. A specific gift This is when you leave a gift that s not money like a house, or a car, for example. A postponed gift (reversionary gift) This is when you leave a gift to someone for a period of time and then the gift goes to another beneficiary, such as a charity. For example, you may wish for someone to live in your house for their lifetime, but then for it to go to charity when they pass away. 15

16 I ve decided to leave a gift in my will to the NSPCC What next? If you d like to leave a gift to the NSPCC, then we d recommend that you make or change your will with the help of a solicitor or legal professional. When you leave a gift, you ll need to decide the type of gift you d like to give. To make everything as straightforward as possible, we ve provided some suggested wording to use for the two main types of legacy gifts. Residuary gift (a percentage of your estate) I leave percent of the residue of my real and personal estate to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH, registered charity numbers: and SCO Pecuniary gift (a set sum) I leave the sum of (in words) pounds (in figures) to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children of Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH, registered charity numbers: and SCO

17 Some extra information Please note: If you d like to discuss leaving a gift to a specific area of our work, such as Childline, then please get in contact with our Supporter Care team on , or us at legacyinfo@nspcc.org.uk Please remember: Your will is a legal document. To make sure that your wishes will be carried out, it is advisable to make or change your will with the help of a solicitor or legal professional. It s important to have an up-to-date will that best reflects your current wishes it s a document that can always change if your circumstances do. Free will-writing service We also offer our supporters a range of free and discounted will-writing offers to make it easier and cheaper to keep your will up to date. To request details of our will writing offers, call , or us at legacyinfo@nspcc.org.uk 17

18 Our promises to people who leave gifts in wills If you are considering leaving a gift in your will to the NSPCC, we want you to feel completely comfortable about it. Our promises demonstrate our lasting commitment to you, your family and loved ones, and the children your gift will help. 1 We re committed to making a difference to children, so we ll always ask people to leave something to the NSPCC, to raise awareness of the difference these gifts can make. But we recognise that it s your decision and you need to make it in your own time. 2 You can tell us that you ve left a gift if you want to, and we d love to hear but you don t need to tell us. 3 We will always respect your privacy. We recognise and appreciate that your will is completely personal to you. 4 We also realise that, rightly, your family and loved ones will always come first. 5 If you do tell us, we ll do our best to keep you updated about the work we do, in the way you d prefer. 6 We ll give you and your family as much choice as we can about how and where your gift will be used to keep children safe from abuse and neglect. 7 You have the right to change your mind about a gift in your will to the NSPCC at any time in the future, and you don t need to tell us if you do. 8 We ll use your gift carefully and cost effectively so that it has the greatest impact for children. And we ll handle whatever gift you leave us with care, sensitivity and respect. 18

19 Thank you again for thinking about becoming a guardian for the next generation If you have any questions at all, we d be delighted to help. You can call us on , us at legacyinfo@nspcc.org.uk, and visit nspcc.org.uk/giftsinwills for any more information you might need. This information pack is not intended as legal advice from the NSPCC. We recommend you seek independent professional advice when preparing your will. 19

20 Together we can help children who ve been abused to rebuild their lives. Together we can protect children at risk. And, together, we can find the best ways of preventing child abuse from ever happening. We change the law. We visit schools across the country, helping children understand what abuse is. And, through our Childline service, we give young people a voice when no one else will listen. But all this is only possible with your support. Every pound you raise, every petition you sign, every minute of your time, will help make sure we can fight for every childhood. nspcc.org.uk/giftsinwills LEGENQPK2018 NSPCC Registered charity England and Wales Scotland SC Model photography by Tom Hull, Ross Bolger, Benjamin Girling Wilson. Pictures posed by models and volunteers. 20