Leaving a Legacy

Thank you for considering a Legacy for us in your Will

A legacy or bequest will provide crucial funds to enable the Venton Centre to continue to offer our rehoming service to hundreds of abandoned, unwanted and mistreated animals every year.

Each of the 171 RSPCA Branches in England and Wales is operated as a separately registered charity that must fundraise individually to maintain whatever animal facilities they run.

RSPCA Cornwall Branch owns and operates the Venton Rehoming Centre at St Columb and provides animal welfare services throughout the County. The Centre costs around £860,000 every year in vet fees, medication and food bills, along with utilities and other costs associated with running the business, to ensure the Branch can continue to operate.

If you would like the animals in Cornwall to benefit from your Will, it is important that the wording used is specific to nominate RSPCA Cornwall Branch to receive this kind gift from you. Legacies that just state RSPCA, will automatically go to the National Society funds and be lost to us.

It is always advisable to seek advice from your solicitor or Will writing service regarding any inclusions in your Will, but respectfully suggest your legacy wording reads:

“I give the sum of £ ________ (or specify a share of residue) to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Cornwall Branch of The William & Patricia Venton Animal Centre, Quoit, St Columb TR9 6JS (registered charity number 1024808) for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said RSPCA Cornwall Branch for the time being shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the said legacy.”

Legacies received in this way are added to general funds for the Branch, to help support all animals that we care for in Cornwall. However, it is also possible to stipulate how your money is used. You can state whether you want to support cats, dogs, small animals, a particular campaign – cat neutering for instance, or any other aspect of our work, by amending the “general purposes” statement in the paragraph above to match your wishes. We will then ensure that any monies received are allocated accordingly.

Please note that a Will must be properly witnessed, and if you need help to write your Will or add a Codicil (a document to make changes) to an existing Will, we recommend you seek professional legal advice from a solicitor or Will writing service. Gifts to registered charities are usually exempt from Inheritance and Capital Gains Tax.

It would help us considerably if you would kindly let us know if you are bequeathing anything to us in this way. All we need is your name and address. Please write to the Admin Officer at the Venton Centre, or email: admin@rspcacornwall.org.uk and we will retain your information in strict confidence for our records.

If you have any concerns on what may happen to your pets if you should pass away before them, please see our “Peace of Mind” page for details of how you can register with us to secure their future welfare.