The Gift of Music – remembering St George’s in your will
We have created The Harry Edwards Circle to help us say thank you to those who let us know of their pledged gift to St George’s Bristol.
As a much-loved Head and Housemaster, Harry Edwards brought many school groups to the then Church of St George Brandon Hill for school services and concerts. Through these visits he was one of the first people to recognise the potential of St George’s as a centre for fine music.
His passion for the venue saw the birth of the St George’s Music Trust with Harry as the Founding Chairman. Under his Chairmanship the hall flourished, staging an ever-increasing number of concerts with top professional artists.
Harry Edwards died in 1995 but through gifts he bequeathed to St George’s Bristol in his estate, his enthusiasm for the venue and love of music is still enjoyed by musicians, our audiences and the venue equally.
Jackie Molyneux
Jackie Molyneux was at home listening to Mozart’s sublime Piano Concerto No 23 in A K488 when she made a decision that has brought huge benefits to over a quarter of a million people.
Jackie decided that the pleasure music had given her should be available to future generations and that leaving a legacy to St George’s Bristol was a way of ensuring just that.
The Jackie Molyneux Legacy has helped provide exciting and inspirational projects for over 10,000 Bristol children since 2001 and has ensured the survival of St George’s as a special venue for great music for audiences of all ages.
Leaving a legacy gift in your will can ensure that your support continues in perpetuity, giving the gift of music for generations to come.
Types of Legacy
Legacy giving isn’t just for business billionaires. Any gift, both large and small, can really have a huge impact on the work of charities like St George’s Bristol.
There are three main types of legacy:
Residuary Legacy
A Residuary gift is a proportion of the remainder of your estate after specific gifts have been fulfilled. This means that leaving a legacy to St George’s does not mean excluding your family and friends. By allocating 95% of your estate to your loved ones and just 5% to St George’s can make a big difference to our work.
Pecuniary Legacy
A Pecuniary gift is a fixed amount of money, which may be tied to the Retail Price Index in order to protect it from inflation. This maybe an attractive option if you would like to support a particular project.
Specific Legacy
You can specify items, e.g. shares, property or items of value. Items must be clearly described in your will in order to avoid any possible confusion as to your intentions.
Tax-free giving
Gifts to charity by will are exempt from all tax, so the full value of your gift will go straight to helping us promote a diverse programme of high-quality concerts. From April 2012, anyone who leaves at least 10% of their estate to charity will have their inheritance tax bill reduced from 40% to 36%.
In Memoriam Giving
Another gift you may like to consider is one that honours the memory of someone you care about. Making a donation or sponsoring a concert is a special way of paying tribute to a friend, colleague or relative.
To find out more…
If you are interested in learning more about remembering St George’s in your will, please contact Caroline Green at c.green@stgeorgesbristol.co.uk call 0117 929 4929. We can provide you with the wording which needs to appear in your will, which you may like to pass to your solicitor.