Leave a legacy

A legacy is a gift in your will for the causes you care about. Many people like to leave a legacy to a charity to continue their support. A legacy for Why me? will allow us to transform lives through the power of Restorative Justice. 

Will you help Why me? by leaving us a lasting legacy?

Will told me of the impact of my actions. That he no longer felt he or his family were safe in their home, his fear, and anger. I had no idea of the damage I was causing. It gave me the kick-start I needed to turn my life around. Please help others like me to transform their lives by remembering Why me? in your will. – Peter Woolf, Restorative Justice service user and RJ champion

Seeing Peter genuinely affected by my words, that he saw the harm he was doing; recognising him not as a monster, but as a frightened and damaged man, all of this helped hugely with my recovery. A legacy to Why me? will help more victims to recover. – Will Riley, Restorative Justice service user and Why me? founder

Peter never offended again after his meeting with Will. Will set up Why me? with Peter’s help and both remain passionately committed to sharing the benefit of Restorative Justice. 

Once you have taken into account the needs of family and friends, please consider leaving a legacy to Why me?. Your gift will ensure that Why me? can continue to raise awareness of Restorative Justice, bringing understanding, healing and closure to more people whose lives have been impacted by crime and conflict. As a small charity, this support has a huge impact on our work. 

If you have already included Why me? in your will, please let us know – we would like to be able to thank you! It also helps us plan ahead. 

Will Aid Month

November is Will Aid Month, where participating solicitors will write your will without charging their normal fee. Instead you are invited to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid. The suggested donation is £95 for a basic single will or £150 for a pair of basic mirror wills. You can find out more about this scheme by visiting www.willaid.org.uk.

Writing a Will

As Why me? is a registered charity, any gift you make will be exempt from inheritance tax. The best way to do this will depend on your circumstances. The main options are:

  • Residuary legacy: This is a gift of the remainder or percentage of your estate after all other legacies have been made and debts cleared. Residuary legacies keep up with inflation and are an effective way to divide the value of an estate between a number of people and causes that are important to you.
  • Pecuniary legacy: This is a gift of a fixed sum of money. The value of this will decrease over time, as the cost of living increases.
  • Contingent gifts: Legacies made on the basis of another event happening first are called contingent gifts. For example, your will could state that a gift only applies if all other beneficiaries named in your will die before you do.
  • Life interest or reversionary legacy: This is a gift which someone can benefit from in their lifetime. For instance, your house could be left for the use of a relative. When they die, it could pass to someone else, or to a charity.
  • Add a codicil: If you have already made a will but would like to add Why me? as a beneficiary, you can use a codicil to add in a gift to Why me?.

It is important that your will is worded correctly. You can get support with this from a solicitor, or possibly from your bank.

General advice on wills can be obtained from the Law Society. Visit solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk for more information. This has a feature that allows you to find a solicitor in your area.

If you do want to leave us a gift of any sort, ensure it reaches us by including our charity number – 1137123. 

Make Why me? a Beneficiary in your Pension

If you are contributing to a pension plan, you might want to consider making us a nominated beneficiary. Were you to die before taking your benefits and a lump sum became available, this money would go tax-free to Why me?.

© 2025 Why me? Charity no. 1137123. Company no. 6992709.