A bright hope for tomorrow
Mercy Ships’ guide to leaving a gift in your Will
Message from our Executive Director
Dear Supporter,
As I reflect on more than 48 years of Mercy Ships, providing free surgical care across sub-Saharan Africa, I’m grateful for your compassion and commitment. Your support has transformed lives, bringing hope and healing not just to one patient at a time, but entire families and communities. With your help, our hospital ships have brought vital surgical care and medical training to the communities most in need. We have witnessed more than 2.9 million lives changed, families restored and futures reshaped, all because someone like you chose to respond with compassion. As we look ahead, there are other ways you can continue showing this care. Leaving a gift in your Will to Mercy Ships, once you have considered your friends and family, is a meaningful way to keep bringing hope for tomorrow.
Thank you for being part of the Mercy Ships family. Your kindness continues to make an extraordinary difference.
With sincere gratitude,
Shelley Pigott Executive Director, Mercy Ships UK
“Thank you for prayerfully considering leaving a gift to Mercy Ships. Your generosity is a powerful expression of compassion and faith, helping to bring hope and healing to those who need it most.”
A mission that sails beyond a lifetime
Since 1978, Mercy Ships has followed the model of Jesus to bring hope and healing to people who need it most.
Founded by Don and Deyon Stephens, we use the world's largest civilian hospital ships to deliver free, life-changing surgery and medical training throughout sub-Saharan Africa, where 9 out of 10 people can’t access safe, affordable surgical care.
Through these decades, our volunteers have provided more than 128,800 free surgical procedures. For many patients, it is their only opportunity to receive the treatment they need.
Anchored in a port for up to 10 months at a time, our fleet — the Global Mercy, Africa Mercy and our previous ship, the Anastasis — has delivered safe surgery and training across 14 African nations.
From training and mentoring local healthcare professionals to renovating healthcare infrastructure, Mercy Ships works alongside nations to create lasting change.
Our volunteers have trained more than 56,500 medical professionals in their area of expertise. Through these medical capacity building programmes, hope stays long after each ship departs.
Gifts in Wills help us provide these life-transforming services long into the future.
Meet Ruth,
who chose to leave a gift in her Will
Ruth Guy has been a longtime supporter of Mercy Ships. She chose to leave a legacy gift to Mercy Ships in her Will so she could carry on being part of work she believes in, long after she’s gone.
“I know that the money will be used to transform lives. People aren’t just helped temporarily by Mercy Ships. Their whole lives are turned around!” says Ruth.
Deciding to include Mercy Ships in her Will was one way to extend her values of faith and compassion into the future. She thinks about the people who may be helped by her gift: children who couldn’t walk being able to play football and those without sight being able to see for the first time. It brings her joy to know she’ll continue being part of making life-changing transformation possible.
Ruth’s family are very supportive of Ruth’s decision to leave a gift to charity in her Will.
“My family are very happy about me leaving a gift. They know so much about Mercy Ships and what it means to me. Many of them work in the medical field and they know that Mercy Ships are doing a fantastic job.”
Through a gift in her Will, Ruth’s compassion will help keep our ships sailing — bringing free surgery, healing and medical training to those who need it most.
“My gift will be there for someone when all hope seems lost. It is wonderful to know that.”
How to leave a gift in your Will
A personal decision, taken in your own time
Deciding to leave a gift in your Will is a deeply personal choice. We always encourage supporters to think about their loved ones first. There is never any obligation to include Mercy Ships.
What matters most is that your Will reflects your wishes and priorities and that you feel fully comfortable and confident, every step of the way.
Getting started
If you already have a solicitor you trust, they are the best person to guide you through writing or updating your Will.
If you don’t, The Law Society can help you find a qualified professional at lawsociety.org.uk
Free Will-writing service
We also offer a free Will-writing service for simple Wills through our trusted partners. Ways you can access this free Will-writing service:
In person: You can schedule a visit with a local solicitor through our trusted partner, the National Free Wills Network. Find out more at: mercyships.org.uk/freewill
Online: You can write your Will online, with live support from our partner Farewill. Visit: farewill.com/mercyships-web
Phone: Write your Will over the phone with a Farewill specialist. Request a call back on 0203 318 4279 or visit: farewill.com/mercyships-phone
These services are entirely optional and there is never any pressure to include Mercy Ships in your Will.
Already have a Will?
If you already have a Will, you don’t need to start again. In many cases, you can add a gift to Mercy Ships using a Codicil form — a short legal amendment. Your solicitor can advise whether this is suitable for you.
To request a Codicil form, please contact our Legacy Team or visit: mercyships.org.uk/freewill
Simple wording for your Will
Amending your Will doesn’t have to be complicated. A straightforward example you can discuss with your solicitor is: “I give to Mercy Ships UK (registered charity number 1053055) the sum of £___ or ___% of my estate, to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
Your solicitor or Will-writer can advise on the most appropriate wording for your circumstances.
Ways to include Mercy Ships
• A residuary gift — a percentage of your estate
• A pecuniary gift — a fixed sum of money
• A specific gift — an object, property, or shares
Your solicitor can help you decide which works best for your plans.
Sharing your intention
If you choose to let us know that you’ve included Mercy Ships in your Will, we would be delighted to thank you personally. We'd love to stay in touch and invite you to events so you can see the impact unfold. You’ll find the Legacy Team’s contact details on the reverse of this guide.
Of course, this is entirely optional and we respect your privacy if you prefer to remain anonymous.
“It’s an honour to be patron of Mercy Ships… volunteers bring brilliant surgery, knowledge and medical skills, from all over the world.
"The success Mercy Ships has had in training doctors, dentists and medics to carry out the work in the future in their own countries – that is a real legacy.”
HRH Princess Anne, Mercy Ships International Patron
Thank you for reading this guide and for considering such a meaningful way to support Mercy Ships.
We know that writing or updating a Will is deeply personal, shaped by your faith, your values and the people you care about most. If you choose to remember Mercy Ships, your gift will help fund free, life-changing surgery and medical training for years to come.
We respect your privacy. To find out how we use your personal information and your rights, please see our privacy policy at mercyships.org.uk/privacy
Mercy Ships UK. Registered Office: The Lighthouse, 12 Meadway Court, Stevenage SG1 2EF Registered Charity No: 1053055. Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC039743. Company No: 3147724 (England and Wales). © 2026 Mercy Ships UK
Photos: MercyShips/Merel Visser-Piet (cover, p4); MercyShips/Shawn Thompson (p3); Mercy Ships (p8) phone 01438 727800