Legacies
A gift in your will
Whether you know College as a past pupil, teacher or parent, being involved in today’s community is stimulating and rewarding. Irrespective of the intervening years since leaving, you still belong here. At the heart of today’s school are the girls and their teachers who work with creativity and flair, embracing innovation. Theirs is a collaboration, each guiding and learning from the other.
College’s pioneering tradition in the education of young women is well documented. In its early years Miss Beale’s inspirational leadership prompted women in our community to venture across the world to establish schools in our image. Even then, when there were definite views on the subjects a young woman might study, restrictions were not imposed. Science, Geography, and even Maths were integral to the teaching here at CLC and this was not the norm in the 1850s.
Today, in whatever capacity it is you cross our heritage-listed threshold, that same spirit lives on. The girls are encouraged to embrace our pioneering heritage through challenge and innovation in the pursuit of excellence. We support modern theories on learning and are guided by the girls on the lives they want to lead in the 21st century. In tandem, there is a recognition that the gift of such a high quality education is not available to all, and the community spirit is to give back and to support those in less fortunate circumstances.
We want as many girls as possible who have the potential, to experience innovative teaching, to take the stage in the Parabola Arts Centre, to find the exercise that suits them at the Health & Fitness Centre, to attend Prayers in The Princess Hall, to walk along the Marble Corridor, to enjoy buns in the Milky Way! Whilst all the time maintaining our historic buildings and continuing to upgrade College facilities to keep pace with technological and curricular advances.
Our ambition is to make a CLC education available to more deserving girls through our means tested bursary scheme, and through support to families who fall on financial hardship while their daughter is at College.
If you decide to make a gift in your will, regardless of its size, you will support a like-minded community dedicated to the education of young women, who enjoy their academic interests and who are determined to earn their place and make a contribution in the decades to come.
FAQs
Deciding to leave a gift in your will is a lasting legacy, and one which for many is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Below we have answered a few of our most frequently asked questions regarding legacy giving and wills, however, every situation is unique so please get in touch if you have questions.
We cannot offer legal advice or wording, and will always suggest that you contact a legal professional for impartial advice.
Yes, Cheltenham Ladies’ College is a Registered Charity, number 311722.
If you decide to leave a gift to College in your Will, your legal representative may find it helpful to have our Registered Charity Number.
Please note that legacy gifts to charities are free of inheritance tax which can sometimes be a consideration for long term planning.
Our recommendation is that you always seek the guidance of a solicitor, who will provide impartial legal advice and recommend the most efficient way of setting out your requests.
If you have already made your Will, then a Letter of Wishes or a codicil mentioning CLC can be added without difficulty.
There is no minimum sum required and we are grateful for each and every gift we receive.
Members of our community support us in different ways and at levels that suit their own circumstances. This can sometimes be a fixed sum of money (a Pecuniary Legacy) or a percentage share of your estate (a Residuary Legacy). The latter option has the benefit of safeguarding the value of your donation and can be made after all other bequests to your loved ones have been paid. Even a small percentage share of an estate can make a transformative difference to a charity such as CLC.
The College finances have always been managed prudently and an unrestricted legacy gift to College allows us to allocate funds to areas of greatest need. This is decided at Leadership Team level and led by The Principal. However, we understand that you may wish to direct your gift to a specific area in College. The bursary programme, for example is a popular area of support for many, as well as sport, music and art-related projects.
If a discussion would be helpful, please contact the Development Office.
Membership of The Bellis Society is optional and we are delighted to welcome new members. Joining the Society provides excellent means of keeping up-to-date with College developments and of meeting like-minded members of the community. Usually we meet at least once a year and members are also invited to key events in College’s calendar. Some prefer to make a legacy bequest without involvement in the Society and that is fine with us. You must choose whatever works best for you.
If you intend to leave a legacy in your Will to Cheltenham Ladies’ College, you can help us plan our future work by letting us know about your kind intentions now. Any pledge you make is not legally binding and there is no need to tell us anything about the arrangements that you would prefer to keep private. It is simply a statement of your current intention. If you would like to notify us, please download our form below.
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