Leave a gift in your will to Upbeat Communities.
Leaving a financial gift in your will is an incredible way to leave a lasting legacy, impacting refugees rebuilding their lives for years into the future.
Why leave a gift in your will?
Upbeat Communities has been working to welcome and empower refugees for 20 years. In the past two years, the numbers of people we support each year has tripled. Each person has their own story, and their own unique challenges and needs.
As we continue to grow, we want to support every refugee who needs our help, at every stage of their journey. That means, we need your help to sustain our projects into the future. Leaving a gift in your will is a valuable way to do this.
How to make a will
To make your will, we would recommend contacting a qualified solicitor. You can also check out Remember a Charity’s guide to making a will. For general information about making a will, you can also visit the Citizens Advice website.
To amend an existing will, simply let your existing solicitor know that you would like to make an amendment.
You will need our charity number: 1162856
And registered address: Bridge House, Riverside Court, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8HY
How we’ll spend your gift
Unless specified otherwise, we will use any money received through gifts in wills to fund a variety of projects, prioritising the areas most in need. Our projects are changing constantly to keep up with the changing needs of our community. Therefore, we would advise not specifying a particular project in your will, in order for your legacy to have the most impact.
The way we spend your money is in line with the way we spend all our donations from individuals, adhering to the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice. We’ll always be transparent about how we spend the money we receive, publishing our accounts each year and creating annual impact reports.
Other helpful things to know
As with any donation, you are under no pressure to leave Upbeat Communities a gift in your will. You can change your mind at any time. You are also under no obligation to inform us if you have left a gift in your will. However, we would love to thank you if you have made this decision, so we would encourage you to let us know if you feel comfortable doing so. As outlined in the Code of Fundraising Practice, we will not share your decision or information with anyone outside of the people who need to know, namely our Communications & Fundraising Officer, Chief Executive, and Finance team.
Walid’s story: support for refugees at every stage of the journey
Your gift could enable us to support refugees like Walid (not his real name). Walid came to the UK in 2022 after fleeing a life of conscription in the Eritrean army, where degrading punishment and torture are commonplace.
Upbeat Communities supported him at every stage of his journey to rebuild his life, from providing English classes when he first arrived to help him integrate in the community, to providing a place for him to stay when he became homeless.
This is his story, in his own words:
“I came to Upbeat and I studied English, ate breakfast and lunch. I came here again and again. Upbeat was always open. This is a good place for anybody who needs help; any refugee who needs classes, food, tea and biscuits. Any refugee who is homeless. Everything is good at Upbeat Communities. Sometimes we visit other places to help to get to know the area: a museum, gallery, garden or park.
When I became a refugee, I became homeless, because there were no houses available. I had to sleep outside in the street. I came to Upbeat Communities and spoke to Einir (Upbeat Staff). She called the council 3-4 times, and the council said they didn’t have any place. I needed to wait, so Einir connected me with my host family.
When I went there, the family were nice and the place comfortable. I felt very good there. It felt like home. It was quiet, relaxing, and a good place. There was a good kitchen, and I was able to cook for my hosts. It felt the same as being with my own family; my hosts felt like my brother or sister, my father or mother.
Now, I have moved out. I have my own room, and I have a job. I want to say thank you, thank you so much, to Upbeat Communities. They help everybody. They have given me a good life.
I hope that every refugee gets their documents (permission to stay) and a good life. When refugees come to the UK, it is because they have had to flee trouble in their home country. For some people, they have to leave fighting in their home country. For others, extreme poverty. I hope each and every one of them is able to build a good life in the UK.”
Your legacy gift can help us to empower refugees like Walid at every stage of their journey to belonging in the UK. Thank you so much for considering this.
If you would like to contact us for more information, or to chat further about leaving a gift in your will, please fill out the contact form below: