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YOUR LEGACY TO

DOWNSIDE WHY WE NEED YOU

In September 2019 Downside School became a separate charity responsibile for its own financial arrangements and its aims. At Downside you are supported to be the best version of yourself – whatever your interests and talents. It is a school that attracts people from all across the world, who are so different, yet come together as one community. I am extremely grateful for the support I have received enabling me to study at Downside. I wouldn’t have been as ambitious as I now am, had it not been for the encouragement I have received from staff and fellow pupils. Head Girl

We remain committed to providing an environment which nurtures young people of integrity who can think for themselves, stand up for their beliefs, and act to make a positive difference in the world. The strength and confidence which our pupils draw from belonging to a community, in which kindness and looking to the needs of others is the currency, encourages them to strive to make the most of their unique gifts and to support others to do the same.

THE INVESTMENTS WE MAKE IN BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS BENEFIT ALMOST A THIRD OF ALL PUPILS IN THE SCHOOL. IT CALLS FOR ALMOST £2 MILLION EVERY YEAR.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR LEGACY TO DOWNSIDE SCHOOL TRUST AND QUOTE OUR REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1184700.

R EASONS TO LEAVE US A LEGACY

It can be difficult to gauge the value of your estate with all the concerns of retirement income and the possibility of care fees for you and those you love.

A legacy is one of the simplest and most flexible ways of supporting Downside. It may allow you to make a contribution not possible during your lifetime. Downside School is a new trust with no endowment or capital fund. Recent events have shown us that Downside as a whole needs to keep developing and changing. You can make a real impact and transform a child’s future.

A GIFT OF 10% OF YOUR ESTATE IS NOT ONLY EXEMPT, IT ALSO REDUCES THE TAX LIABILITY ON YOUR WHOLE ESTATE FROM 40% TO 36%.

IT IS TA X EFFICIENT Most of us grumble about present day taxation and when making a will you want to preserve as much of your life’s work as possible for those you care about. As Downside School and Downside Abbey are both registered charities any gifts to us are exempt from inheritance tax. Furthermore a gift of 10% of your estate is not only exempt, it also reduces the tax liability on your whole estate from 40% to 36%.

An example for a UK testator with an estate of £500,000:

TAX LIABILITY

WITH 10% CHARITABLE BEQUEST

£500,000

(£325,000)

£175,000

NIL

£17,500

£175,000 @40%

£157,500 @36%

INHERITANCE TAX

£70,000

£56,700

ESTATE AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION

£430,000

£425,800

GROSS ESTATE LESS NIL RATE BAND NET ESTATE CHARITABLE DONATION TAXABLE ESTATE

More detailed information is available from the HMRC website

As landlords the Trustees are responsible for the upkeep of our historic buildings including the Abbey Church. This is a heavy burden for our aging Monastic Community and in the absence of any endowment or capital fund they rely very heavily on philanthropic support. In recent years, the new roof on the Abbey Church, the restoration of the Allan Bath, the development of the Monastery Library, the renovation of the Theatre creating a new Performing Arts Centre have all been financed entirely through fundraising. We are enormously grateful to everyone who has made those huge capital projects possible. Sometimes funding has come from the timely arrival of a legacy and if you want to help us preserve our heritage for future generations then a bequest to Downside Abbey General Trust can do just that.

DOWNSIDE IS A COLLECTION OF BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS, THE MOST MAGNIFICENT OF WHICH IS THE ABBEY CHURCH, VISIBLE LIKE A BEACON FOR MILES AROUND.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR LEGACY TO DOWNSIDE ABBEY GENERAL TRUST AND QUOTE OUR REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1158507.

THE PETR E SOCIET Y The Petre Society was established in 2008 as a way of thanking OGs and others who have made provision for Downside in their wills. The Society meets once a year on St Gregory’s Day for a whole school mass in the Abbey Church followed by a convivial lunch and an opportunity to share memories with like-minded individuals. Join us by completing the enclosed pledge form (green for Abbey and red for School) sending it to your solicitor and returning a copy to us. This is not a binding commitment, simply a statement of intent however, it will enable us to plan for the future and welcome you back to Downside as a member of the Petre Society.

DOWNSIDE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A PLACE OF EDUCATION. A LEGACY IS A PERFECT WAY TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PAST AND GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE. A Petre Society member

For further information please contact: Jane Vines, Director of External Communications Downside, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock BA3 4RJ development@downside.co.uk