It’s everything you’d expect and everything you wouldn’t.
But it wouldn’t exist without you.
A gift in your Will protects hospice care for all, for now, forever.
£6m
is needed to fund our life-changing services every year
90%
of our funding comes from public donations, including gifts in Wills
1 in 5
children are supported by gifts in Wills
Leave a gift in your Will for children in the future
We know that hospice care is finality and uncertainty, brave faces and shedding tears. It’s going the extra mile, doing away with convention, living life to the full and remembering what really matters. It’s easing pain and bringing comfort. It’s care at home, and in a hospice, care for those dying and for those around them.
By leaving a gift to Helen & Douglas House, you can ensure that the children with life-limiting or terminal illnesses who come through our doors, today and in the future, can be cared for.
I'm ready to start my Will
Write your Will for free online
Writing a Will ensures your wishes are followed when it comes to distributing your assets. Whether you want to provide for your loved ones or leave a gift to charity, a clear and legally binding Will is essential.
Helen & Douglas House offers a free Will-writing service that makes the process simple and accessible. You can complete it online, over the phone, or in person – whichever works best for you.
Here’s why an online Will is easy and convenient:
- Quick: The process takes just 15–20 minutes on average.
- Secure: Wills are legally binding and reviewed by experts.
- Free: No cost to write your Will.
- Peace of mind: Ensure your affairs are in order.
If you prefer, you can also complete your Will face-to-face or over the phone. Please call 020 4525 3605, quoting our code H&DFREE to find out more.
Our free Will-writing service is provided by Octopus Legacy.
Leaving a gift in your Will: Janet’s story
Discover why Janet chose to leave a gift in her Will to Helen & Douglas House and read about her experience using our free Will-writing service.
How to write a Will: a simple guide
Read our blog post to learn how quick and easy the process of using our free Will-writing service can be.
I would like to find out more
Get in touch or request our helpful guide
Thank you for considering leaving a gift in your Will to Helen & Douglas House. These very special gifts are vital to the support we give local families.
To help you decide if leaving a gift to us in your Will is right for you, we have produced a useful guide that can be emailed to you for free.
The guide includes:
- How to write or amend your Will
- Our free Will writing service
- The different types of gifts you can leave
- Frequently asked questions (Read our online FAQs).
Contact Us
If you have any questions about leaving a gift in your Will to Helen & Douglas House or would like to visit the hospice, please get in touch.
Contact Alex Hegenbarth on 01865 799150 or email [email protected].
About Helen & Douglas House
We are the world’s first children’s hospice and have provided life-changing, pioneering hospice care since 1982.
When a child is diagnosed with a life-limiting or terminal condition, we help make this desperately difficult time just a little easier for children and their families.
In a comforting cocoon of care, we provide 24-hour medical, emotional and practical support, helping families create happy memories in the last years, weeks, or days they have left together.
Sadly, there will always be seriously unwell children in need of our vital care and support. Children whose lives will end too soon, for whom every moment counts.
But, by leaving a gift in your Will, you can ensure hospice care lives on for generations to come.
Help hospice care live on for children like Nathan.
When 13-year-old Nathan suffered a perforated bowel, sepsis shock and a cardiac arrest last year, the first call Nathan’s mum Jenny made was to Helen & Douglas House.
“Helen & Douglas House were there from day one. Explaining things when I couldn’t understand, for a hug when we were low, for pain management after Nathan’s long stay in intensive care and reassurance when we had to make hard decisions.
From food packages to a shoulder to cry on, Helen & Douglas was there every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
We’ve been supporting Nathan and his family for a over decade, through the good times and the bad. But without the generosity of gifts in Wills, we couldn’t provide the specialist care or supportive stays that bring so much joy into Nathan’s life.
By leaving a gift in your Will to us, you can help protect our hospice care, making sure we’re here for families like Nathan’s now and forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I leave a gift in my Will to Helen & Douglas House?
Many of our supporters kindly choose to leave a gift in their Will to Helen & Douglas House after providing for loved ones. This helps us support local children and families facing life-shortening conditions.
To include us in your Will, it is as simple as writing:
• ‘I leave 10% of my residual estate to…’
• ‘I leave £4,000 to…”
Followed by our charity details:
Charity name: Helen & Douglas House
Address: 14A Magdalen Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1RW
Registered charity number: 1085951
These gifts are invaluable and ensure continued support for those in need.
Why do I need a Will?
Writing a Will ensures your wishes are followed when it comes to distributing your assets. Whether you want to provide for your loved ones or leave a gift to charity, a clear and legally binding Will is essential.
Creating or amending your Will is especially important after any major change in your life, such as getting married (this cancels out any will you made before), getting separated or divorced, having a child, or moving house.
Helen & Douglas House offers a free Will-writing service that makes the process simple and accessible. You can complete it online, over the phone, or in person – whichever works best for you.
How do I write a Will?
You can contact a solicitor, or Will advisor, and write your Will together in person or over the phone.
Or you can create it using our free Will-writing service, provided by Octopus Legacy. You can complete your will online, over the phone, or in person – whichever works best for you.
Follow these three simple steps to write your will with Octopus Legacy:
- Answer questions: They’ll guide you through a series of questions to determine your wishes. The process takes just 15–20 minutes on average.
- Review and finalise: Experts will review your Will within 10 working days. Once ready, you’ll sign it to make it legally binding.
- Easy updates: Update your Will for free in the first year and for just £10 a year after that.
What types of gifts can I leave?
There are two main types of gifts you can leave in your Will:
Residuary gift
This is a percentage of your estate after all other gifts and expenses have been paid. Many people choose to add a percentage of their estate to Helen & Douglas House as this enables them to provide for loved ones first and the value does not diminish over time.
Pecuniary gift
This is a gift of a set amount of money. It is paid before residuary gifts and is likely to decrease in value over time.
Other gifts
If you would like to discuss any other types of gifts that you can leave to Helen & Douglas House, please get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected]
I’ve already written my Will; how do I change it?
A relatively simple change to your Will can be done through something called a codicil. This is an official and legally binding appendix which is ‘read’ alongside your Will.
You must sign a codicil and get it witnessed in the same way as witnessing a Will.
There’s no limit on how many codicils you can add to a Will.
Please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or calling 01865 799150 and we can send you a form.
Do I need to tell you if I leave a gift to Helen & Douglas House in my Will?
No, but letting us know helps us plan ahead. We would also love to thank you for this generosity.
Where can I find the terms and conditions of your free Will writing service?
You can find the terms & conditions for Octopus Legacy, who provide our free online will writing service, here: Terms & Conditions
Did I see you on TV?
Yes! We have joined forces with 143 hospices across England, Scotland and Wales to raise awareness of the work we do. Our brilliant film, This Is Hospice Care, is being broadcast across all the major TV channels.
How can I make sure my Will aligns with my faith and spiritual beliefs?
We understand that you may want to write a Will that is reflective of your personal and spiritual beliefs to make sure the wishes and tenants of your faith are respected. If you have any concerns, you may want to speak with a leader in your faith’s community, or a solicitor if you need advice on UK inheritance law.