NORFOLK contains the greatest concentration of medieval churches in the world. Of the 921 that were originally built, 659 remain.

Not only are these beautiful, internationally important buildings but they contain hundreds of medieval works of art and craftsmanship – painted screens, frescos and intricate carved woodwork and roofs. They punctuate the relatively flat Norfolk landscape with characteristic spireless towers, often round and sometimes Saxon in origin and are the visual and spiritual focus of their villages. The Norfolk Churches Trust was established in 1976 to keep these churches open as places of worship. A shrinking, rural population and spiralling building costs have made upkeep the fabric of these churches an impossible burden for many small congregations. The Trust aims to help these parishes with advice and grants. When it comes to your Will, it is only right that your family comes first in your thoughts. But that does not mean you can’t leave a gift to a cause close to your heart. Legacy gifts, however large or small, are crucial to our future work. Legacies and bequests are enormously valuable to us. All that may be needed is a simple codicil to your Will on which your solicitor can probably advise with very little expense, and the gift itself will be tax free.

The suggested wording is:

“I give to the Norfolk Churches Trust Limited (registered charity number 271176) of 9 The Old Church, St Matthew’s Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1SP a legacy of £x [or the residue of my estate] for its charitable purposes”.