Leave a gift in your will

Join Refuge in providing this vital work by including a gift in your will, so that all women and girls can live in safety, free from abuse.

Your legacy can be a declaration of freedom for all women.

Do you believe that women and their children have the right to live free from fear and abuse? The right to be in control of their own lives? The right to feel safe?

We do. But today, thousands of women and their children are living in fear of their abuser, unsure if they’ll survive. Unable to see a way out.

That’s why we provide a safe place for women affected by domestic abuse – as well as our National Domestic Abuse Helpline, one-to-one community outreach and support with bringing abusers to justice. And with your help, we can keep being there for women, long into the future.

With a gift in your will to Refuge, you could invest in a world where even more women and their children can get the support they need to find freedom from abuse.

And your gift can help change society for them, too – shifting attitudes, changing laws, and shaping a future in which every woman affected by domestic abuse is believed, understood, and supported.

Make your will a declaration for women’s freedom – leave a gift to Refuge.

For ten years, Sarah suffered physical and mental abuse from her then-husband. “I felt ashamed and tried to hide the evidence of the nightly beatings,” recalls Sarah, now 76.

Then, things started to escalate. “I knew I had to escape before he killed me,” she says, “so I packed a bag and went to stay with a friend.”

Sarah knows that too many women have their own version of her story. And looking back, she feels grateful that her mum was able to support her financially, helping her begin again.

“I know that not everyone has this luxury,” says Sarah. “That’s why I want to help women in a similar situation who are less fortunate.”

Through her gift, Sarah is making a statement of intent about the kind of world she believes in: “I would like a future where women are treated as equals, where misogyny is non-existent. Where no-one lives in fear. I hope my gift can help achieve that.”

Sarah, survivor

Grey haired woman looking directly into the camera.

Join survivors like Sarah. Leave a gift to Refuge in your will.

How do I leave a gift in my will?

After you’ve looked after your loved ones, pledging a gift to a charity can be a powerful statement of your values, and the kind of world you’d like to leave behind. There are several ways you can do this:

Deciding on the type of gift

Your estate is made up of everything you own: your property, your car, any money in the bank or in cash, stocks, ISAs, or similar. There are three ways you can leave some of this to charity:

  • A percentage or the whole of your estate, known as a residuary gift. Even a small percentage could do so much.
  • A pecuniary gift: a fixed sum or ‘cash’ gift.
  • An item or property.

We understand that when making your Will, your loved ones will take priority, but if you wish to leave a gift to Refuge there are several ways you can do this:

How can I write my Will for free?

We’d strongly recommend that you get the help of a trusted expert to make or amend your will.

That’s why we’ve partnered with the expert will writers at Octopus Legacy (formerly known as Guardian Angel). They can help you prepare your will for free online, over the phone, or in person, with a trusted solicitor.

Write your Will online using code REFUGEFREE or give Octopus Legacy a call on 0800 773 4014 and quote Refuge to write your will over the phone or in person with a solicitor.