Leave a gift in your will FAQs

Gifts in wills are vital to the RHS. As a charity that receives no direct government funding, we can only continue our work through support from visitors, members and donors. Gifts in wills underpins all our work within the five RHS Gardens and beyond. 

Our beautiful gardens, education programmes for schools, apprentices and adults, historical collections, community outreach and horticultural research are only made possible through the support of our donors.

Download your free Gift in Will Guide (2.8MB pdf)

Yes, you can. We welcome gifts that can be used wherever the need is greatest, but we are also happy to accept gifts for a particular RHS Garden or area of our work that has special meaning to you.

See the section about suggested wording for your will on our ‘How to include a gift in your will’ page.

We always endeavour to honour the wishes set out in a will. However, in some circumstances where there are very specific terms attached to a gift, we may not be able to spend it or accept it if the terms do not fall under our remit of work.

If you do have a very specific request please do get in touch so that we can discuss your intentions and so that you can be sure we will be able to carry out your wishes.

A residuary gift is a proportion of your estate once gifts of money or items have been distributed and costs have been deducted, while a pecuniary gift is a sum of money.

You can leave a residuary gift that will hold its value better than a (pecuniary) cash sum, or you can leave a fixed cash sum that can be linked to the index of retail prices, allowing your gift to keep its value in line with inflation.

A valid will is the only way to ensure your wishes are carried out. Making a will isn’t as complicated as you might think and shouldn’t be costly.

It is recommended, however, that you seek legal advice when you prepare your will. You can do this by getting in touch with a solicitor or by using a reputable online will-writing service.

RHS supporters can also write their will for free with our free will-writing offer.

We aren’t able to recommend particular solicitors but you can search for regulated solicitors in your area via the Law Society website.

We are unable to act as an executor. It is recommended that you choose two executors, who can be a professional advisor, family member or friend.

We are so grateful for all gifts in wills and value any amount given to ensure the benefits of horticulture are passed on for generations to come. Whatever amount you can leave us, rest assured we will use it wisely.

Thank you for thinking about supporting the RHS in this special way. We understand that leaving a gift to charity is a very personal and important decision and if you would like to talk to a trusted RHS team member, you can call our Legacy Giving team on 0207 821 3658. Alternatively, you can email [email protected].