Donations and Legacies
By donating, or leaving a legacy, you will help the hospital to help patients, together with their families and friends. Your gift will fund additional equipment, services and amenities which Keswick Hospital might otherwise not be able to afford. Donations and legacies such as these are hugely important to the hospital.
How to Donate
You can help the Friends help Keswick Hospital by:
Donating online via the JustGiving link to make a one-off or monthly payment.
Making a direct bank transfer (please email for our bank details)
Donate online via the Paypal Giving Fund
Making a cheque payable to ‘Friends of Mary Hewetson Hospital’ and posting to our Treasurer (click for our postal address)
Making a donation in lieu of funeral flowers (see below)
If you are a taxpayer, please also send us a completed Gift Aid form via email/post. We can then reclaim up to 25p in every £1 of your donation at no cost to you. For further information or assistance, please email or write to us.
Donations in Lieu of Funeral Flowers
The loss of someone you love is a very difficult time for you and your family. Many families choose to provide the flowers at the funeral, but ask their friends to make a charitable donation instead, in memory of their loved one. This form of donation continues to be one our most valuable sources of income. We thank all those who have chosen to support the Friends of Keswick Hospital in this way. Your funeral director will be happy to collect and administer ‘donations in lieu’ on your behalf, and ensure that they are passed on to us according to your wishes.
Legacies
Leaving a gift to a charity such as ours in your will is an amazing way for your generosity to last beyond your own lifetime. Furthermore, any gifts you give to charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax. You could also benefit from a reduced rate of Inheritance Tax of 36% instead of 40% on the remainder of your estate.
There are various types of legacies, such as pecuniary where you gift a fixed sum of money, or residuary where you gift a share of your estate after the payment of debts, taxes, funeral expenses and other gifts specified in your Will. If you have already made a Will you can ask a solicitor to draw up a codicil for you, bequeathing an amount to the Friends of Mary Heweston Hospital, Keswick.
Benefits of Donating or Leaving a Legacy
All gifts, donations and legacies received by the Friends:
are specifically for the benefit of patients and staff of the Mary Hewetson Hospital, Keswick
are managed by local trustees who are aware of local need
are subject to minimal overhead costs because the charity is small and run by volunteers
can be distributed quickly and responsively if necessary
may be distributed proactively, for example when trustees or members of the community suggest ideas for funding, or reactively in response to an application for funding by hospital staff