Leaving a gift in your Will to the Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust (START)

START changes the lives of people who stutter.

bequests

Often it can make a difference to a whole family, and to a wider community. That is why we ask you to consider leaving a gift in your Will to support the vital work START does with people of all ages who stutter.  

While death is not always an easy subject to talk about, it is one of the certainties in life. That is why, for many reasons, it is very important to have a Will, which is a legal document which says what happens to any property or belongings you have after you die.  You can change your Will at any time before your death as long as you are mentally capable.

You do not have to be wealthy to leave a gift in your Will to START. START appreciates any and all gifts, as we understand that generosity is at the heart of all of them.

We encourage you to always consider your family first when making your Will, but you may then decide to leave something to support the work of START.

You can do this in various ways, including: specifying an amount of money; specifying an item of property; or specifying a percentage of the total value of your estate, which means that the amount keeps adjusting as your estate changes. Alternatively, you can leave the residue (what is left over) once debts have been paid and provision has been made for family and other people or organisations you want to benefit from your Will. Very occasionally some people, because of their particular circumstances, will leave their whole estate to benefit a cause.  

If you would like to talk about leaving a gift in your Will to START with us or would just like more information, please contact Janelle Irvine, Executive Director and Clinical Leader of START on 09 579 6775 or email Janelle by clicking here. Janelle or Eric Allan, who is the Chair of the START Board of Trustees, would be happy to talk with you about this or to come and see you, whichever is more convenient for you.   

All such conversations are confidential if you request that. Your privacy is very important to us. If you do decide to support our work in your Will, we would like to thank you personally.  You may also wish to tell us how you would like this gift acknowledged and whether you would like your gift to be used to support a particular part of our work or a specific purpose.

No amount is too small. Every dollar will go to support our important work.

We recommend that you consult your lawyer or legal advisor when writing your Will to ensure it is legally binding, and your family and named causes can benefit.

If you already have a Will, leaving a gift in your Will to START is simple and quick. You can tell your lawyer or legal advisor that you would like to add a codicil to your Will. A codicil is a simple statement that can be added to your existing Will at any time to alter or modify it. A simple codicil form that you might like to use is attached here or you lawyer can draw one up.

The wording that we suggest for inclusion in your will or codicil is:

I give and bequeath to Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust (Auckland), (Charity Registration Number CC30201) [a sum of money/%of my estate/residue of my estate/specific asset(s)] for the general purposes of the said charity and I direct that the receipt of the Treasurer or other duly authorised officer shall be a sufficient discharge to my Executors/Trustees.

Notified Bequests

“I am very pleased to be leaving a gift in my Will to START,” says Dean Cook.

“I was introduced to START at a time in my life when I needed help to make a positive change with my speech. Leaving university, I had big plans for myself and my career, but I didn’t have the skills or tools to control my stutter. It was holding me back START gave me those tools, taught me how to use them when speaking and enabled me to take control of my speech. My speaking improved and my confidence grew which allowed me to achieve the goals I had set myself. START played a vital role for me at a critical time. I know it has done the same for others. My hope is my gift I am leaving in my Will allows START to continue their fantastic work, helping others like me for many years to come.”

Another person who wishes to remain anonymous at this time says:

“Stuttering is a funny thing I always think because it is often invisible.  You don’t notice it until someone who stutters starts to speak! Partly because of this but for other reasons too I think that it is a bit of a niche concern, yet it is major to those it affects. For this reason it is really important to me that those of us who care about people who stutter support the work of START.

I have lived with my stutter all my life.  As a young person, at a time when there was little effective treatment, it was very tough at times.  Later things improved and I came to know that speech language therapy and START can make a real difference to people who stutter.  

START has built great credibility over these past 25 years with the way it has changed many lives.  Not only do I want to support START helping children and people of all ages while I am alive, I also want to keep helping them after I have died.  So, while I have looked after those dear to me in my Will, I have also made sure that START is top of the list of registered charities I want to leave a gift to when I die.  As one who has worked in the community sector for many years I know what a profound difference leaving a gift in your Will can make to a small but critical service like START.  I feel very privileged to be able to make this contribution and to know that the vital work of START will be supported after I have died”