King's Legacy Brochure

Giving through a legacy supports us in creating an Enduring Bursary Fund for the long term, which will enable any talented child to attend King’s, regardless of financial circumstances.

Our vision for the future At King’s we care about nurturing the ability of every child.

In order that a diverse social mix of children can continue to receive an education at King’s, we rely on our family which gives so generously. One significant means of giving is through legacies. King’s is already benefiting from the generosity of Old Vigornians and friends of the school who have remembered us in their wills, which is a tax-efficient way of providing bursarial support.

Giving through a legacy supports us in creating an Enduring Bursary Fund for the long term, which will enable any talented child to attend King’s, regardless of financial circumstances.

Choosing to leave a legacy donation is a very personal decision that no one should take lightly. With the ongoing support of those who hold King’s dear, we can remain committed to our original philanthropic principles that have been part of the school for nearly 500 years and which will continue to shape its future.

Thank you for your support.

Andrew Reekes Chair of The King’s School Worcester Development Trust ksw.org.uk/legacies

You can help shape the future of King’s A legacy is an excellent way to provide tomorrow for the people who are important to you today, to help causes you hold dear and to honour the influences that have shaped your life.

For those who hold The King’s School in their affections, remembering us in your will is one of the most personal and significant ways in which you can help open the door to King’s for talented children in the future, no matter their backgrounds.

For those who hold The King’s School in their affections, remembering us in your will is one of the most personal and significant ways you can help open the door to King’s...

Enabling the education of a bursary child is life-changing and long-lasting. All legacy gifts, whatever their size, make a real impact on the future generations of King’s pupils; even a small percentage of your estate can have a transformative impact.

We hope that you feel your time at King’s had a positive influence on your life, or on the life of someone close to you.

Please pledge today to help open the door to King’s tomorrow.

ksw.org.uk/legacies

A gift for the future A message from David Seabright (1955–1964), who has remembered King’s in his will.

Why leave a legacy?

‘The greatest use of life is to live it for something that will outlast it’ David Seabright Wulstan 1964

As the years get added to your age, you start to think ‘Who’s going to get this?’ Well, we’ve earned it all legally, paid our taxes etc. As Christians, Ann and I have been involved with a lot of charities, either by having their newsletters and giving donations, supporting friends financially who are missionaries, both in the UK and abroad, or by being trustees of charities.

So we decided that charities would be the best beneficiaries when it came to doing our wills.

As a chartered accountant in practice, I knew the tax rules – that whatever is given to charity would reduce the amount of inheritance tax that would go to the government.

So we have designed our wills in such a way as to be tax-free at our deaths. One of our mantras is: ‘The greatest use of life is to live it for something that will outlast it’. Think about it, and do something for the future. One thing you could do is to give to King’s School as part of their bursary scheme.

ksw.org.uk/legacies

Taking the road less travelled

From field trips to land consultancy

Ellen Gilhooly 2011–2013

Shaun Armitage 1997–2006

I spent my Lower and Upper Sixth years at King’s and that time helped me develop into the person I am today and, most importantly, helped me to grow in confidence to pursue my interests. Studying Physics, Maths and Economics for my A Levels left me as one of the few girls in most of my classes, but the teachers and students at King’s encouraged me to do what I enjoy and not to worry what others think. Without this support, I might not have pursued these subjects, gone to university to study Physics with Astrophysics and ultimately would not be on the Graduate Programme I am on today.

I was happily settled at King’s when my family’s circumstances changed. Finances would no longer cover school fees. It seemed likely that my brother and I would have to change schools. Fortunately, a bursary allowed me to remain at King’s throughout my GCSEs and Sixth Form studies. As well as academic continuity, staying at King’s with my friends brought stability during an unsettling time.

I am very grateful to the donors who provided funds for my bursary.

King’s gave me the confidence to strive for my goals and also provided me with the tools to succeed. None of it would have been possible without the generosity of the bursary scheme making King’s accessible to me. The bursary scheme works so well at making the benefits of King’s accessible to all and, for that, I will be forever grateful.

My education at King’s formed a solid academic base from which I went on to read Geography at the University of Durham. I have subsequently pursued a career in contaminated land consultancy, undertaking investigations into brownfield sites in preparation for their redevelopment across the UK. Most recently, I have just finished a period as head of department for a small environmental consultancy.

ksw.org.uk/legacies

How to include King’s in your will

Frequently asked questions

You can include King’s in your will by directing your gift to The King’s School Worcester Development Trust.

Q I already have a will. Can I change my existing will to include a legacy to The King’s School Worcester Development Trust?

A. Yes. Even if you already have a will, you can still leave a legacy to the Trust through a codicil (a document that amends a will). We have provided a Codicil Form in the back pocket of this brochure.

Making a will to include the Trust need not be complicated or expensive. Before making your will, you may have questions or requests, in which case please contact the Development Director at King’s on development@ksw.org.uk or 01905 721719.

Q. Can I reduce my Inheritance Tax Bill by leaving a legacy to King’s?

A. The King’s School Worcester Development Trust is a charity and a legacy left to the Trust would be exempt from Inheritance Tax. Currently if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, the inheritance tax on the remainder of your estate is reduced from 40% to 36%.

Equally, if you would like to discuss particular requests in person, we would be delighted to meet you.

We do understand that many people prefer the business of making a will to remain a private matter and we respect and guarantee your anonymity, should this be your wish.

The information in this brochure is not intended to constitute legal advice and we suggest that you contact a solicitor to help you make your will.

If you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, the inheritance tax on the remainder of your estate is reduced from 40% to 36%.

Q. Can my legacy be used to support specific areas of King’s?

A. You may wish to support a specific area of King’s and we will always honour your wishes. If you do not specify anything, bequests will be used by the Trust to meet the school’s top priorities which, for the foreseeable future, will be life-changing bursaries. We promise that such funds would never be absorbed into the school’s general running costs.

ksw.org.uk/legacies

The 1541 Society

Our aims

Henry VIII re-founded The King’s School in 1541 with the specific aim of promoting excellence in teaching to all those willing and able to learn, regardless of their financial circumstances.

The long term objective of The King’s School Worcester Development Trust is to build an Enduring Fund from which we will provide forty bursary places across the school in perpetuity.

The school’s re-founding principles were to provide an education for ‘forty boys, poor and destitute of the help of friends, of native genius…and apt to learn’. We continue to be passionate about our Bursary Programme, which enables talented children to attend King’s regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the fees.

Legacy gifts will make a lasting impact on the future of King’s.

By way of recognition, and as a small thank you, we would like to invite those who have remembered the school in their wills to join The 1541 Society.

The 1541 Society recognises those who have made a legacy pledge, or contributed in a major way to King’s, and allows us to thank them in their lifetime. In the spring, members meet for dinner, along with the Headmaster, to hear about current activities and future plans for The King’s School.

In order to do this, we have set ourselves the goal of growing our fund from the current level of £2 million to £5 million by 2025, and ultimately to £18 million by the time that King’s celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2041.

We know that these are ambitious targets.

However, we believe in aiming high.

King’s is a school where we nurture the talent and creativity of our pupils; we are confident that the generosity of the King’s family will enable us to open the door to a King’s education for many more deserving bursary pupils in the future.

The 1541 Society recognises those who have made a legacy pledge, or contributed in a major way to King’s, and allows us to thank them. ksw.org.uk/legacies

Next steps • When making a will, in order that your wishes are

carried out as you intend, we recommend getting advice from a solicitor.

• If you decide to leave a legacy to The King’s School

Worcester Development Trust, we would be grateful if you could let us know by completing the Pledge Form that accompanies this brochure. Your pledge is not legally-binding; however, it would be regarded as an encouraging sign to the school of your support.

Thank you from King’s Thank you if you are considering a gift to King’s in your will. In the past, we have benefited from the generosity of many members of the family of King’s.

Thank you for playing your part in shaping the Old Vigornians of tomorrow.

• If you have already made your will and just want an

alteration to it in the form of a legacy to King’s, you can use the enclosed Codicil Form. Once completed, the form should be attached and stored with the original copy of your will.

• To find out more information about leaving a legacy to King’s, please visit www.ksw.org.uk/legacies

• Alternatively, if you would like to talk to us about

remembering King’s in your will, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please call the Development Director at King’s on 01905 721719.

ksw.org.uk/legacies