It feels great to leave a gift in your Will knowing it will make a big difference in the future says horse charity’s Somerset supporter
As part of the charity’s Legacy Awareness Week running from 9th-15th September
World Horse Welfare is urging people to think of their horse’s future now and to consider making plans sooner rather than later as part of the charity’s Legacy Awareness Week, running from 9th – 15th September. [Images attached are of supporter’s horses Duke and George, whose future has been secured with World Horse Welfare]
Have you ever thought about what will happen to your horse when you’re not around anymore? Or how charities like World Horse Welfare continue to afford to rescue an increasing number of horses (as much as 40% more in the first quarter of this year) from severely dangerous or life threatening situations?
Gifts in Wills, also known as legacies, made by caring supporters, account for 60% of the charity’s income, helping to pay for the cost of veterinary fees for every horse that comes into the charity’s four Rescue and Rehoming Centres around the UK. The income also helps provide dental care; transportation of horses from unsafe areas; feed, tack and so much more.
World Horse Welfare knows that writing your Will is a private matter and can present difficult decisions. The charity understands that your family will always come first no matter what, but can guarantee that even the smallest gift towards its work will be put to effective use helping horses, without committing to any financial contribution right now.
Somerset resident, Chrissie Jones has taken the charity’s advice and made plans for her horses now by securing them a safe place to go for when she is no longer around to care for them. Chrissie stresses though, that for her to have the luxury of a safety net, supporters need to give something back.
“I have decided to leave Duke and George, my two traditional cobs, to World Horse Welfare when I am no longer around. I have lots of family, but it doesn’t matter how much family you have around you, if they are not horsey then they won’t know how to look after equines properly or maybe they won’t even want to. I want the best for my horses and knowing that they will just be going up the road to one of the charity’s four Rescue and Rehoming Centres, Glenda Spooner Farm, when I am gone, is very reassuring to me.
“Of course I often donate to the charity in my own way and will continue to do so; the safety net that World Horse Welfare has provided me with for my horses is a massive commitment on the charity’s behalf. I will continue to commit to World Horse Welfare and donate all I can to the charity because the peace of mind that I have gained knowing that my horses will be left to people I trust should be something that every horse owner should have. Without voluntary donations though, the charity would not be able to give horses the care that it does. Leaving a gift in a Will, whether it is cash or commodities, is a way to help horses even when you are not here anymore.”
World Horse Welfare Glenda Spooner Farm Manager, Claire Phillips explains just how important legacies are to the organisation as a whole.
“Charities are often underestimated; people tend to think that we will be here no matter what, but we need income too just like big companies. Without people like Chrissie who continue to support us in every which way we could not give horses a second chance in life. As the largest horse rescue and rehoming charity in Britain, I hate to think what would happen if our charity was not here. Legacies play a major part in keeping us going. The income from Gifts in Wills goes towards not only rescue and rehabilitating horses in the UK and keeping our four UK centres going, but also towards our efforts in helping working horses in eight different international countries and our campaigning work such as calling for an end to the long-distance transportation of horses across Europe to slaughter.”
Gifts in Wills make a huge difference to horses’ lives in the UK, such as:
UK
• It costs £37 for each horse to be examined by a vet upon arrival to one of World Horse Welfare’s four rescue and rehoming centres.
• £300 pays for a dentist to examine and treat 10 horses during a weekly visit.
• £600 paid for the cost of transporting 11 horses from the site of an RSPCA/World Horse Welfare investigation in Buckinghamshire to the horse charity’s Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre.
• It costs £80 to keep one Field Officer on the road in the UK for a day.
CAMPAIGNS
• It costs over £3,600 for World Horse Welfare campaigns team to carry out a five-day investigation involving three people. They follow one of the main slaughter routes to Italy where they collect evidence of welfare and health problems to use to lobby politicians and officials.
INTERNATIONAL
• Last year’s Nicaragua programme cost £110, 455, working in 15 horse-owning communities and directly improving the welfare of 758 working horses.
Your Will forms part of how you will be remembered for years to come and is one of the biggest decisions you will need to make in life, so take your time and think about it carefully, perhaps with legal advice. Have horses given you pleasure in your life? If they have, then Word Horse Welfare will be able to use a gift from you to make sure horses benefit from your generosity.
World Horse Welfare guarantees that supporters will never be put under any pressure or be asked about any personal decisions; your privacy will always be respected. You can of course go and see the charity’s work first-hand at one of its four Rescue and Rehoming Centres around the UK, where there will be plenty of helpful staff on hand for a chat.
Planting a tree in tribute to a loved one is a very popular way to combine a lasting tribute and a way of helping horses. Find out more here: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/In-Memory-Donations-and-Tribute-Gifts
For more information about how you can leave a lasting gift in your Will or for a friendly chat about anything related to World Horse Welfare’s work, visit this link: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Lasting-Gifts
Alternatively, you can call World Horse Welfare’s Legacy Fundraising Officer, Dawn Witney on 01953 497225 or email her at DawnWitney@worldhorsewelfare.org.
For press information please contact World Horse Welfare’s Press Officer Amy Fordham on 01953 497248 and 07824 302640 or email amyfordham@worldhorsewelfare.org
About World Horse Welfare:
Visit our website here: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Home
World Horse Welfare (Registered charity no: 206658 and SC038384), is an international horse charity that improves the lives of horses in the UK and worldwide through education, campaigning and hands-on care of horses. Since we were founded in 1927, our whole approach has been practical, based on scientific evidence and our extensive experience, and focused on delivering lasting change across the full spectrum of the horse world.
In the UK our dedicated network of Field Officers investigate and resolve welfare problems, and we run four Rescue and Rehoming Centres where horses in need can receive specialist care, undergo rehabilitation and find loving new homes through our rehoming scheme – the largest of its kind in the UK. Our international training programmes alleviate the suffering of thousands of working horses by providing essential knowledge for horse owning communities in the developing world. We also work tirelessly to change legislation and attitudes to horse welfare through campaigns and education, including our founding campaign to end the suffering endured by the tens of thousands of horses transported long-distance across Europe to slaughter each year. We support the responsible use of horses in sport, and are an official welfare arm of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and welfare advisors to the British Horseracing Authority.
