Make a Lasting Gift 1

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1 Make a Lasting Gift 1

2 Welcome from The Dean Thank you for your interest in leaving a legacy to Winchester Cathedral. This great medieval stone building has existed for nearly a thousand years, and it would be easy to take its future for granted. But to survive and thrive, Winchester Cathedral needs to be something more than a monument to past history, however glorious. We want our Cathedral to be a vibrant, living community meeting today s needs a place where people from all walks of life can still vividly experience the richness of Christian beliefs, the wonder of every human life, and the beauty of holiness. We want publicly to express the importance of values in our modern, often bewildering world. In particular, we want this to be somewhere people feel able to take a moment to reflect on life s journey where they can sense how precious every life is and how, even in death, we can learn something of life s meaning. The Very Reverend James Atwell Dean of Winchester Our job is not to exist for our own sake, but to act as a transforming force in society. In a secular age, we seek to offer something distinctive and life-enhancing a vision that inspires people in their own lives. Whether you cherish this Cathedral as a centre of Christian worship, for its magnificent choral music or its unique role in England s history, or perhaps for your own personal reasons, your support will be hugely valued. 3

3 Ensure the future of a special place Annabelle Boyes Receiver General and Canon Treasurer There are so many ways we can use a gift made in a Will. Some people want to help conserve and develop our buildings, others to support our wonderful English choral music tradition. Others prefer to specify a particular use. If you choose to leave your gift for a specific purpose or activity, we can make sure this happens. This leaflet outlines the many different ways you can leave a lasting gift to Winchester Cathedral, choosing the form of support that means most to you. It also summarises the main things you might want to think about when making or updating your Will. Leaving a gift to charity in your Will is a big decision that needs careful thought. I d be delighted to explore with you what kind of gift you might want to give. Please do contact me at the Cathedral on You can rest assured that we ll treat your details with discretion and respect. 4

4 How your gift makes a difference The scale and splendour of our great Cathedral bear clear witness to the historic patronage of kings and bishops. But today we live in a different age. It costs 10,000 a day to maintain this magnificent building that hosts countless services, celebrations and events, as it has done for centuries. Yet we re entirely self-funded, taking no money from the State or the Church. Today, Winchester Cathedral no longer belongs to a privileged few. It belongs to all who love it, including local worshippers, students and volunteers, and musicians, artists and visitors from all over the world. You might have been here for a wedding or to celebrate a Christmas or Easter service, attended as a member of our congregation or worked as a volunteer. Whatever your connection, your gift, large or small, makes all the difference. You may want to join our community of Friends, who play a vital ongoing role in maintaining our buildings and heritage. Or you may choose to support our work by contributing to specific funds or projects. However you choose to help us, you ll be making a lasting contribution that will be remembered. 5

5 Make a free gift to Winchester Cathedral Help wherever the need is greatest Leaving a free gift, one that is not limited to a particular fund or purpose, is one of the most helpful ways you can support the Cathedral. The Dean and Chapter can use these funds for urgent and important matters. For example, a free gift can be used for emergency repairs, to commission a new work of art, provide necessary maintenance for the Cathedral grounds and estate. It can also be used to support music, conservation, education and new development. 6

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7 Make a gift to the Music Fund Help keep great choral music alive Britain s sacred choral music represents a unique tradition, kept alive today largely by its cathedrals a glorious heritage of living church music that remains one of the nation s greatest cultural treasures. Singing has formed a key part of Christian worship for over a thousand years. Winchester Cathedral s own choral tradition is rooted in our medieval monastic past, when Benedictine monks chanted eight holy offices a day. We still end almost every day by raising our voices in a traditional choral Evensong, as we have done for centuries, with attendance open to everyone free of charge. Every year, our magnificent Christmas carol services and our Easter worship are attended by thousands of people. But keeping it music of this quality alive and open for all to enjoy is expensive. It costs 750,000 to run all our musical activities for a year, and increasingly we need to fundraise to support them. That s where our Music Fund comes in. If you d like to leave a legacy to this fund, it will help train future choristers, and support the Music Department in its daily work to keep this wonderful music alive for future generations to enjoy. 8

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9 Make a gift to the Fabric Fund Help preserve our heritage Fifteen centuries of English history lie behind the massive Cathedral you see today. It stands at the heart of historic Winchester, once the seat of Anglo-Saxon and Norman royal power, on the site of an early Christian church. Formerly the burial place for Anglo-Saxon monarchs, and a great medieval priory and place of pilgrimage, the Cathedral and its lovely Close represent a unique collection of historic buildings, admired by all who visit. But this is also a living place, in constant use. Today Winchester Cathedral celebrates 1,500 Holy Services a year, and welcomes 130,000 tourists, as well as nearly half a million people visiting our Christmas market or attending events. Some 25,000 young people a year take part in education activities here. Our Close is a much-loved meeting place for local people. Maintaining and conserving our buildings and facilities, whether it s restoring precious surviving fragments of medieval stained glass, developing a new display for our magnificent illuminated Winchester Bible, or simply installing new toilets, takes money. Our annual income covers normal running expenses and essential maintenance activities. But it doesn t stretch to funding the work needed to keep our buildings fit for the future. If you choose to leave a legacy to our Fabric Fund, you ll be doing something invaluable enabling us to plan our conservation and maintenance work on a sound basis for the future. 10

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11 Make a gift to the Friends of Winchester Cathedral Help our Friends make a difference Winchester Cathedral Friends was first established in 1931 with the stated aims of helping Chapter to maintain, preserve, beautify and stimulate interest in the Cathedral, its music and history. Since then, inspired by a shared love and enthusiasm for the Cathedral s buildings and community, Friends have played a vital practical role in helping maintain our buildings in good shape, from conserving masonry to repairing windows. Our 3,500 Friends worldwide also support some much-loved traditions, including funding the Christmas tree in our nave every year, and paying for our beautiful floral displays. They also give much-valued regular support to our choral music, donating 38,500 a year to fund two places for boy choristers, and for two girl choristers to learn a musical instrument. Gifts made in people s Wills have proved vital to their work. For example, in 2012, Friends donated 820,000, largely from legacy income, to support the construction of our new Fleury Building, housing pastoral activities, storage space and new toilets. If you d like to join Winchester Cathedral Friends, we d be delighted to hear from you. Or you may wish to make a legacy to enable Friends continue to support the Cathedral in the future. Either way, you ll be contributing to a registered charity working hard to support the Cathedral and forge links among those who love it. Registered Charity No Mo Hearn, Friends of Winchester Cathedral Chairman, The Dean of Winchester and the Abbot of Fleury at the opening of the Fleury Building, an ext in 2011

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14 Make a gift to Winchester Cathedral Trust Help support major projects Winchester Cathedral Trust is an independent registered charity that helps to support Winchester Cathedral financially with major development and restoration projects. Led by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, the trustees all share a passionate commitment to the Cathedral and its treasures and each has a long tradition of dedicated civic leadership within the County and beyond. The trustees focus their efforts particularly during times when major injections of capital are needed to both conserve and protect the Cathedral and to develop its facilities for the future. In 2012, the Trust launched an appeal to help conserve the Cathedral s historic fabric and transform its outreach and presence in the community. Launch Service for Winchester Cathedral Trust Capital Fundraising Appeal. Alan Titchmarsh MBE VNH DL, Annabelle Boyes, Receiver General and Canon Treasurer, Cllr Ken Thornber CBE, Leader of Hampshire County Council, The Right Reverend Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, Dame Mary Fagan DCVO JP, Her Majesty s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, The Very Reverend James Atwell, Dean of Winchester, Nigel Atkinson DL, Vice Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire For centuries, each generation has cherished this magnificent building. Winchester Cathedral Trust will ensure that your gift will help keep the spirit and the fabric of the Cathedral secure for generations to come. Plans for the new Learning Centre Registered Charity No

15 Making Your Will Giving a gift to remember Although it s easy to put it off, deciding to make a Will and keep it up to date can: Set your mind at rest and ensure your assets go to the people and causes closest to your heart Make life easier for those you leave behind by avoiding confusion and misunderstanding Avoid a situation where your estate is divided up by the courts, not you. Tax When you die, your estate will be subject to inheritance tax (IHT). The first part of your estate (currently 325,000) is taxed at nil rate. The residue is taxed at 40% unless you qualify for one of the available reliefs. If you leave money to charity your estate could benefit from two reliefs from IHT:- (a) no tax will be payable on the amount that you leave to charity (b) there will be a reduction in the rate of IHT on the remainder of your taxable estate from 40% to 36% where 10% or more of your relevant estate is left to charity If you decide to support us, all you need to do is: Instruct your solicitor or whoever draws up your Will for you that you want to include provision in your Will or If you already have a Will, arrange for a codicil (a supplement) to be drawn up. You ll also need to decide what form you wish your gift to take, such as: A residuary legacy the whole or a percentage of all your estate after other bequests and liabilities have been met. A pecuniary legacy a specific sum which could be index linked A specific legacy such as property, stocks and shares, works of art, or other objects. A reversionary legacy which becomes payable after the death of another named person, often one s spouse. A conditional legacy which becomes payable after the conclusion of some event, for example, the education of one s grandchildren. 16

16 It is important that your Will identifies clearly the intended beneficiary. To support the Cathedral generally gifts should be expressed as made to The Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral and you should indicate whether the gift is for general purposes, for the purposes of their Fabric Fund or for the purposes of their Music Fund To support the Friends gifts should be expressed as made to The Friends of Winchester Cathedral (charity number ) and to support Winchester Cathedral Trust gifts should be expressed as made to Winchester Cathedral Trust (charity number ). You should indicate whether the gift is for their general purposes or for a specific purpose related to the Cathedral Whatever contribution you can make, it will be hugely valued. And if you re not able to support us now, please bear us in mind for the future! N.B. This is not intended as an exhaustive statement of the law relating for Wills and IHT but is for guidance only. Specific advice should be taken on your own particular circumstances before you consider making or amending your Will 17

17 Contact us for further information I m interested in leaving Winchester Cathedral a gift in my Will. I d like to find out more about: Making a gift to Winchester Cathedral (including the music fund and fabric fund) Please contact Annabelle Boyes on , or her on annabelle.boyes@winchester-cathedral.org.uk The Friends of Winchester Cathedral Please contact Lesley Bestwick on , or her on lesley.bestwick@winchester-cathedral.org.uk Winchester Cathedral Trust Please contact Jane Morgan on , or her on appeal@winchester-cathedral.org.uk The Cathedral is a charity and is recognised as such by both the Charity Commission and Inland Revenue. The Cathedral pre-dates the 1993 Charities Act and therefore doesn t have a Registered Charity Number. 18

18 The Dean and Chapter Winchester Cathedral The Close Winchester SO23 9LS