Supporting the Club

How to use the free Will writing services with the National Free Wills Network

Write or update your free Will in-person with a local solicitor through the Club’s partnership with the National Free Wills Network. A limited number of Free Wills will be made available each year for the benefit of our Members.

Please register for your Free Wills Pack here https://myfreewillsportal.org/RAFClub which includes a list of your local solicitors who are taking part.

Once you’ve received the pack, contact your chosen solicitor directly to book a face-to-face or online appointment at a time that’s convenient to you.

At the appointment, please remember to bring your completed declaration form enclosed with the pack to get your simple Will written for free.

The cost of a complimentary ‘Standard’ Will for an individual or identical ‘Mirror’ Wills for a couple are covered by the Club. ‘Complex Wills’ are available at a subsidised rate and your solicitor will advise on any additional cost before going ahead.

Whilst there is no obligation to leave a legacy gift to the Club, this would of course be a wonderful way of supporting the Club for years to come.

​Further details on the scheme can also be found here www.nationalfreewills.net/supporters/

For further enquiries, please contact of Director of Fundraising and Member Engagement, Charlotte Gray at charlotte@rafclub.org.uk or call 020 7399 1082.

The Club operates as a charity "to preserve, promote and foster the traditions of the Royal Air Force". Any surplus from the Club's day to day operation is reinvested to improve the facilities and services for Members and to keep subscriptions and food and beverage costs affordable. During the pandemic, donations from Club Members and friends of the Club threw the Club a valued lifeline during the many hospitality restrictions. Post pandemic, all donations and legacies will invested back into the Club to help fund those capital projects and rolling refurbishments that have been put on hold for the past three years, as well as to rebuild Club reserves.

Examples of past projects that have had a long lasting impact are the building of the Club's Centenary extension, augmented by donations and legacies, and installing the iconic RAF Stained Glass Window, an eye-catching focal point of the Club, only possible through a one-off donation. The Library has also benefited from generous donations in recent years, enabling us to add to the collection of post WWII books for members benefit.

If you have a particular Club project in mind that you would like to actively support, please do let us know.

The Club adheres and abides to the Fundraising Regulator’s guidance and Code of Fundraising Practice and is registered for Gift Aid.
 

"There can be no better way to give something back to the Club that we have loved, than to help others enjoy it in the future."

Please consider the Club when you are making or re-drafting your Will. The gift can be as small or as large as you prefer, as every donation makes a difference. Leaving a Legacy can make a lasting difference and perpetuate your memory to future generations of Club Members as well as being a tax efficient way of donating from your estate. For example, the iconic stained glass window on the staircase, which today has become a mark of excellence and a focal point within the Club, was made possible by a Legacy gift.

There are 3 main types of gift you can lift in your Will:

1. A Residuary Gift is the whole or residue of your estate after all gifts, debts and expenses have been deducted.

2. A Pecuniary Gift is a fixed amount of money. The value of a pecuniary gift may devalue with inflation unless you ask your solicitor to index-link your gift.

3. A Specific Gift is a gift of a specified item, such as a personal possession, land, buildings, art or shares etc.

We recommend contacting a legal professional when drawing up or amending your Will. 

If you decide to leave a gift to the RAF Club, the suggested wording is:

"I give to the RAF Club, 128 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7PY, Registered Charity 1108295, a _________% of my estate/OR the sum of £_________ /OR specific items ___________ to be used for its general charitable purposes and I declare that the receipt of the Secretary of the RAF Club, or other duly authorised officer, shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors."

Amending a Will

A codicil is a document used to change a Will that has already been made. For further information please visit www.rememberacharity.org.uk/making-a-will/leave-a-gift-to-charity/

Please let us know, in confidence, if you have included a gift in your Will so we can acknowledge our thanks.

If you have any specific questions regarding the Friends of the RAF Club, or making a donation/leaving a legacy, please contact Charlotte Gray at charlotte@rafclub.org.uk or call 020 7399 1082.

Registered Charity 1108295





 

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