Help and advice for legal advisors

I am administering an estate which includes a legacy to Guide Dogs. Where should I send the proceeds?

Please send all monies to our head office address, which is:

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Hillfields
Burghfield Common
Reading
RG7 3YG

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To whom should I make the cheque payable?

Please make the cheque payable either to 'Guide Dogs' or 'Guide Dogs for the Blind Association'.

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What are the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's registered details and charity number?

Guide Dogs is a working name of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Registered Office: Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading, Berkshire RG7 3YG. A company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales (291646) and a charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SCO38979).

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Does Guide Dogs accept BACS payments?

Yes. Please call our legacy administration team on 0118 983 8250 if you’d like our banking details.

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I am drafting a Will for a client. What wording should I use?

We have already drafted wording for people to use when leaving gifts. Please see the wording below:

If you’d like to give a percentage of what you leave behind to Guide Dogs (this is called a
Residuary gift):

"I give free of inheritance tax the residue of my estate to The Guide Dogs for the Blind
Association whose Registered Office is situated at Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading,
Berkshire RG7 3YG, Registered Charity No. 209617 for the general charitable purposes of the
Association, and I declare that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer or other authorised official
for the time being shall be a good discharge to my Executors."

If you’d like to give a certain amount of money to Guide Dogs (this is called a Pecuniary gift):

"I give free of inheritance tax to The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association whose Registered
Office is situated at Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading, Berkshire RG7 3YG, Registered
Charity No. 209617: the sum of ….. (in words) pounds, £00000 … (figures) for the general
charitable purposes of the Association, and I declare that the receipt of the Honorary Treasurer
or other authorised official for the time being shall be a good discharge to my Executors."

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What percentage of Guide Dogs' income is spent on administration?

Approximately 1.2p in every pound we receive is spent on administration. You can see a detailed explanation of how we spend our funds in our booklet 'Life Changers'.

Please call the Gifts in Wills team if you'd like to know more on 0845 603 1477.

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Do you have any literature I could show my client?

Yes. We’d be happy to forward more information about Guide Dogs on to you or your client, either by post or email:

Life Changers is a booklet that explains how we generate funds, how we spend the money we raise, and what a difference it makes to our guide dog partnerships. Follow this link if you’d like a copy of the Life Changers free booklet and DVD.

Pledge form – if your client leaves a gift in their Will to Guide Dogs, please do ask them to fill in a pledge form to let us know. We’ll then be able to thank them and keep in touch. Follow this link to go to the pledge form.

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Can my client leave money in a Will specifically to Name a Puppy?

Yes. This is one of the most popular ways for people to leave us a gift in their Will. We ask for a minimum gift in order for people to be able to Name a Puppy, which is currently £5,000. This reflects the cost of putting one dog through its first fourteen months. When we receive a gift like this, we name the puppy and begin sending regular updates on the puppy’s progress to the nominated next of kin or friend. We ask that there are three suggested puppy names written in the Will and we will try to use your client’s first preference where possible.

The cost of breeding, training and supporting a guide dog through its lifetime is currently around £40,000. As a guide dog owner can have six or more dogs, this cost can rise to nearly a quarter of a million pounds.

Please remember that if your client leaves a specific gift, its value will reduce over time, so they may want to consider index linking the gift.

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Can my client meet you to learn more?

Yes. If your client would like to know more about our reception days, please follow this link to view the come and meet us page.

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Can people make donations to Guide Dogs in lieu of flowers at a funeral?

Yes, people often make donations in this way. We have also developed funeral collection envelopes to make it easier and non-intrusive. The envelopes are tastefully designed, and can be personalised with the name of the person being honoured. They also contain a donation form, which means friends and family can make a donation without having to collect cash. The envelopes can either be handed back to the person who organised the funeral, or returned to us directly. We can then thank everyone who has made a donation.

If you would like to know more, please follow this link to visit our In Memoriam website.

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Can my client give in memory to Guide Dogs?

Yes. We have a range of commemorative options, including setting up a Tribute Fund, which lets people give in memory of a loved one. When a Tribute Fund is set up, all the money we receive in memory of a particular person is credited to the Fund. People often use Tribute Funds to build up a total of £5,000 to Name a Puppy in memory of the deceased.

If you have a client who would like to know more, please follow this link to visit our In Memoriam website.

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Do you have any examples of how legacies have been used?

Yes. You can see just how much gifts in Wills to Guide Dogs can transform people’s lives by clicking here and viewing our case studies.

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