Leave a gift in your Will

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My parents do not worry about me anymore...I owe you all so much. You have been such a rock – a shining light in my darkest days.

G, London.

Leaving a gift in your Will is a wonderful way to support a cause that you believe in, and any gift that you could leave to NAM will make such a big difference to the experience of people living with HIV for the next generation.

Medical advances now mean people diagnosed with HIV can expect to live into a healthy old age. The improvement has been astounding, and NAM has been there every step of the way, supporting individuals and communities to manage HIV with accurate, impartial information. But there is still so much work to be done.

Leaving a gift in your Will can make such a huge difference to the work NAM can achieve. No matter how big or small, you can make your money count, and make a real change to the lives of people with HIV.

A few questions answered

Why should I make a Will?

Making a Will is a way to ensure that all of your personal belongings and assets are dealt with as you would like after you die. If you do not make a Will, the law decides how your estate gets divided up. It is important that you keep your Will up to date so that it reflects your personal circumstances.

How do I make a Will?

Making a Will is not difficult or expensive. Contact a solicitor to talk about it and be sure to make your wishes clear. To find a solicitor near you, visit the Law Society website and type in your postcode. You can ask a solicitor to give you a quote of how much it will cost to make a Will before you begin the process. Unless your Will is complicated, its preparation should be relatively inexpensive.

The fact that I am still here after 10 years of diagnosis has a lot to do with your work. HIV Treatment Update Reader

How do I leave a gift in my Will?

If you would like to leave a gift in your Will to NAM, your solicitor will prepare some wording and simply attach a written form called a codicil form, to your Will.

Does leaving a gift in my Will affect my tax position?

Yes. Gifts to registered charities in your Will are free of inheritance tax. If the value of your estate is over the tax threshold, leaving a gift in your Will could reduce the amount of inheritance tax you would need to pay (charitable gifts are deducted from your estate before the tax is calculated).

Making sense of the lingo

There is a huge amount of information about Wills out there and a lot of the jargon that is used can make the process seem confusing. We’ve listed below some of the terms and words that are likely to crop up when looking into leaving a charitable gift, to make things a little bit clearer.

Estate - all of a person's personal possessions at the time of their health, including money and property.

Legacy - another way of saying 'gift in your Will'.

Pecuniary legacy - a fixed amount of money given as a gift.

Residuary legacy - a gift consisting of a proportion of a person’s estate, once all the debits, charges and gifts have been deducted.

Specific legacy - a gift of a particular item e.g. a painting.

Codicil - a document which enables you to make a simple alteration to your already existing will.

If you would like any further information about leaving a gift in your Will, feel free to ring the office on 020 7837 6988 and we'll be happy to answer your questions, or email info@nam.org.uk.

A message from NAM's founder, Peter Scott

The HIV epidemic was very different when I founded NAM in 1987. People with HIV were faced with ‘information chaos’ and were understandably frightened and alarmed by what they were witnessing within their communities and among their friends, partners and family members. In the midst of this confusion, along with a group of committed volunteers, I sought to create a source of calm, authoritative and trustworthy information on which those living with HIV in the UK could rely. 

Over 20 years on and NAM’s work has grown enormously, underpinned by our continued commitment and drive. NAM has been a constant source of clear, evidence-based information both to people living with HIV and to healthcare professionals and support workers. Through our award-winning website, www.aidsmap.com, we now support a truly global audience.

I am so proud of what NAM has achieved and how far we have come. When somebody tells me that the information they received from NAM quite literally saved their life, it’s the best affirmation ever; but there is so much more that needs to be done.

There is a huge discrepancy in the quality of information available worldwide – very few countries are fortunate enough to have organisations like NAM. So, every day the team at NAM carry out remarkable work producing and sharing information and expertise with others across the world – often to areas completely devastated by the effects of HIV and AIDS.

The commitment and generosity of people like you is what has been at the heart of NAM’s success over the years. By leaving a gift to NAM in your Will you will help us extend the reach of our vital information still further and improve the future for people with HIV. Crucially, your support also allows us to remain wholly independent; leaving a gift to NAM will help us to ensure there is always accurate, reliable and unbiased HIV information available to anyone who needs it, wherever they are in the world.

As NAM’s founder and as a Trustee, I know how greatly your support makes a difference. Every gift left by our generation will make a huge difference to the experience of HIV of the next. Thank you.

Peter Scott, NAM's founder

If you have any questions about leaving a gift in your Will, contact us.

Community Consensus Statement on Access to HIV Treatment and its Use for Prevention

Together, we can make it happen

We can end HIV soon if people have equal access to HIV drugs as treatment and as PrEP, and have free choice over whether to take them.

Launched today, the Community Consensus Statement is a basic set of principles aimed at making sure that happens.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap
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This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.

NAM’s information is intended to support, rather than replace, consultation with a healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team for advice tailored to your situation.