There are many ways to help our talented scientists and clinical researchers …
In memoriam donations
If you have lost a friend or relative, a donation to Wessex Medical Research is one way of paying tribute to their memory. It provides a beneficial alternative to giving flowers. Funeral Directors will usually help by collecting and forwarding such donations to Wessex Medical Research but you can also send these directly to Wessex Medical Research’s office if you wish.
Download our in memoriam leaflet here
We would be extremely grateful to receive the proceeds of your collection and if you wish, you can specify the type of research—for example, cancer or heart disease—which you would like the collection to support.
For those with friends and relatives in far flung places, it is now possible to make a donation through our fundraising partner Justgiving. Click here for the link.
Leaving a legacy
Making a will
Everybody should make a will, even if their wishes are straightforward. With no will the courts will decide how to dispose of your money and property, possibly not in the way you would have expected.
You might think your estate would automatically go to your family but, unless you spell out precisely what you want in a will, you could find they do not benefit fully—and they might get nothing at all!
Writing a will without professional advice can also create problems as one small error could invalidate the entire will. We therefore recommend that you seek the advice of a solicitor or other will-writing professional. That way you are giving yourself peace of mind as well as looking after those you love—and it is a relatively quick, simple and inexpensive process.
Many things change over a period of years and a will made years ago may no longer reflect your wishes.
Click here to download our wills leaflet
Keeping your will up to date
Many things change over a period of years and a will made years ago may no longer reflect your wishes. Getting married, or re-married, for instance, may not only ‘affect your wishes’ but will invalidate all previous wills. It makes sense to review the provisions of your will from time to time.
How can I help Wessex Medical Research?
When making your will, you need to think of family and friends first. But then please pause and think of charities.
Wessex Medical Research is working hard for your community, for a better future. Because Wessex Medical Research works in the Wessex region (Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands) we benefit people throughout the region so you will know where your money goes. And because we are local and have a very small central office, we keep our overhead costs to the minimum.
For high quality research leading to improved diagnosis and cure, please support Wessex Medical Research.
Making a donation
You can now make a secure on-line donation through our partner website Justgiving. For details, click here
All donations, whatever the amount, are gratefully received. However, if you use Gift Aid, the value of your gift (if you are a UK taxpayer) will be increased by one quarter as we can claim back the basic rate tax you have already paid.
Regular giving
Our successes wouldn’t be possible without the support of regular donations. Donating a small amount direct from your bank account (by standing order) each month will allow Wessex Medical Research to plan ahead and advance the vital research being undertaken in the Wessex region.
Click here to download our standing order form.
Give more for less! If individual income tax payers make a simple declaration, which can be either in writing or orally (over the telephone), Wessex Medical Research can claim back the tax on the value of all donations made. This makes your donation around 28% more valuable to us but at no extra cost to you.
Amazon Smile
Whenever you use Amazon, go to smile.amazon.co.uk and place your order there. The website is virtually identical to the main Amazon site but placing your order there means that Amazon donates 0.5% of the value of each purchase to charity. A small amount but it soon adds up. The total cost is borne by Amazon. Be sure to click the “Supporting” icon towards the left-hand end of the top bar and select “Wessex Medical Trust” as your preferred charity. Happy shopping!
Used computer ink cartridges
These can still make money! Please ask the office for a supply of Freepost envelopes in which you can send your used items for recycling—and Wessex Medical research will get a donation. Alternatively, use your own envelope and address it to
Recycle4Charity
FREEPOST
SEA 14098
Lewes
BN8 5BR
Be sure to mark the envelope with our unique registration number, which is C16805, or someone else will get the benefit!
Give as you earn
Give as You Earn (payroll giving) is a tax efficient way to give regularly to Wessex Medical Research. It is one of the most direct and convenient ways of helping us fund vital medical research.
Donations are deducted from your gross pay entirely tax-free. So, each time you are paid, a donation is deducted by your payroll department before tax.
Simply check with your payroll department whether your employer offers this scheme, decide how much you would like to give each month, and then complete our Payroll Giving form. You will need a PDF reader to open this file, such as Acrobat. If you do not have one, click on the Acrobat Reader logo below to get your free copy.
Tax Rebates
If you complete a Self Assessment form you will be able to donate to Wessex Medical Research any tax rebate due to you.
If you are owed tax back from the Inland Revenue, simply nominate Wessex Medical Research to receive your donation quoting Inland Revenue code: XN42241
Donating Shares
Contact us for details of how any ‘spare’ shares you may have in your portfolio can be sold for the benefit of Wessex Medical Research.
Special Occasions donating to Wessex Medical Research
There can be times when an individual wishes to show appreciation but it is not appropriate or desirable to make a gift direct to the beneficiary or cause concerned. In addition to in memoriam donations mentioned above, we have recently received donations for the following reasons:
- To mark a friend’s 60th birthday
- In lieu of providing table favours at a wedding reception (where the happy couple were particularly grateful for treatment they had recently received at Southampton General Hospital)
- For professional advice given by a friend who was reluctant to take a fee.
Gift Aid
The Government has enabled us to reclaim basic rate tax on all donations with the minimum of paperwork, especially for donations given via the Internet. Donations under the Gift Aid scheme mean that £10 given is really worth £12.50 to us. Click here for a form.