Template for Local Use

Writing and printing your own leaflet is an even better solution than the other leaflets we offer.

Local church members will be much more motivated by local stories of how their church has benefited from legacies, of the legacy policy that their local PCC has should they leave a gift in their will to the Church.

When pulling together your own leaflet, here are some guidelines :

• Firstly, we would strongly encourage you to invest in having the leaflets properly designed and printed. It may cost a few hundred pounds, but the average legacy left to Church of England parishes is many times that.  Having a quality leaflet conveys that the subject is important, and that legacies matter, and how they are used will be properly thought through.
   
• Funnily enough, photography is probably more important than words. Good photos of people of all generations, plus the local church are much more motivating than tombstones, wills and other images related to death.
   
• Include examples wherever possible of how previous legacies have benefited the church. You should also include the PCC's policy on how it plans to use future legacies. 
  
• You should encourage people to consider making a will, or revising an existing will at key life stages. Examples of the text of other leaflets, or in some of our sample parish magazine articles may be helpful.
   
• Recommend that people take professional advice - for their own peace of mind, and for the Church's!  Making or revising a will is not particularly expensive, and errors in home-made wills can cause unnecessary work and may mean the donors wishes are not fulfilled.
  
• End by suggesting that if people would like to know more, they can get a pack of further information. You can order some packs to give out locally, or you can point people to the Church's national legacy information line (08445 870 875)  You might also like to point people to this website (www.churchlegacy.org.uk).