Leave a gift in your Will

When you leave us a gift in your Will, you help transform children’s lives.

Leaving a gift in your Will is a personal way to make a lasting difference to a cause you care about. Please consider remembering Coram in your Will, so that we can continue to protect and support the children and young people who need us most.

“I’d encourage you to consider placing a gift in Coram’s safe hands. Every legacy, however small or large, can make a difference, and is money well spent towards vulnerable youngsters finding love, acceptance, value and their rightful place in the world."
Liz Beloe, Coram supporter

How your gift makes a difference

Your gift, however large or small, means we can be there for vulnerable children as long as they need us. Whether finding loving adoptive parents through our Activity Days, securing homeless young people a safe place to live, or fighting for children’s rights – we are committed to ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life.

Watch our Adoption Activity Days video below to learn about how our work changes children’s lives.

Ways to give

  • You can choose to leave a percentage, or all that is left in your estate after you have provided for your loved ones. This is known as a ‘residuary gift’. A residuary gift is by far the most effective way of remembering us as its value tends to adjust in line with inflation.
  • You can choose to donate a specific sum of money – also known as a ‘pecuniary gift’ of ‘cash gift’.

Free Will-writing service

Making a Will is the only way to be sure that your estate is handled in accordance with your wishes, and we would advise you to seek the professional services of a solicitor.

We offer a free Will-writing service to adoptive parents or supporters who are aged over 55, thanks to a partnership with The National Free Wills Network. There are a limited number of Wills that can be written each year so this offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis and covers the cost of a Simple Will for people with simple financial arrangements.

If you use this service, you are under no obligation to leave Coram a gift, but if you do, you’ll be helping us to continue our work with the most vulnerable children and young people around the country.

We also offer a free online Will service, which you can access through the Octopus Legacy website.

If you have already made a Will

You can make a simple addition or change to your existing Will to include Coram using a codicil form

You can find more information about writing or updating your Will in Remember A Charity’s guide on making a Will.

Why I am leaving Coram a gift in my Will

“I can still recall the name and face of one little boy when he heard a placement had been found for him” - Ruth Crow, former headteacher

“When I was a head teacher at a Westminster State Primary School, my Educational Psychologist put me in touch with Coram. The school received very practical help for some of the pupils, and I have stayed in touch with Coram ever since.  

“There were children attending the school who had waited a long time for adoption. I can still recall the name and face of one little boy when he heard a placement had been found for him. He had been finding concentration very hard, and he was making no progress at all with reading or writing. Another older girl was often so overcome by her troubled life that she had gained nothing at the school. She learned to shelter in the office rather than break down or create a scene. All children like them need a stable and loving home to gain the confidence necessary for successful learning. 

“Coram has one of the best records for successful adoption in the country. This work is painstaking and expensive. It takes many years for a child to be settled successfully, and Coram supports the families as well as the children.

“Last year I had the opportunity to meet three elderly Coram ‘children’ – former Foundling Hospital pupils. They were impressive people, who had thrived with interesting careers, but who had fascinating memories of the discipline that they had experienced while children in Coram’s care. They felt it had given them stability that had stood them in good stead. They now return ‘home’ as much respected adults for Coram’s social events, and they follow the new Coram ventures with interest.

“The spirit of the wonderful Captain Coram is carried on by the present organisation. I urge readers to organise a donation in their wills, as I have done, so that the comfort and care of children and families can be continued, in the memory of this determined hard working man.”

“I believe passionately in children and the importance of their childhoods” - Liz Beloe, retired counsellor

“As I grow older I am acutely aware of current pressures on families. The world in which my grandchildren are growing up is very different and it is easy to feel rejection, alienation and purposelessness. I believe passionately in children and the importance of their childhoods.

“As a retired counsellor, I’m aware of the possible outcomes of insecure and inconsistent attachments in the early years, and the subsequent impact this can have on their self-esteem and self-worth. I believe passionately in children and the importance of their childhoods

“Many of the children supported by Coram will have suffered emotional and physical abuse or neglect, or have witnessed violence and trauma in their early years. And at a time when more and more children need to be taken into care, Coram is committed to changing lives and rescuing childhoods. By seeking permanent homes for them, this organisation is about giving better chances for children.

“Offering vital post-adoption support for adoptive parents makes a colossal difference at a stressful and bewildering stage; with two godchildren who have had recent experiences of adoption, I know what a hard and rocky journey it is without good supportive follow-up. For young vulnerable care leavers, with no family to turn to, facing a hostile dangerous world without the on-going support from Coram feels unthinkable.

“So I’d encourage you to consider placing a gift in Coram’s safe hands. Every legacy, however small, can make a difference and is money well spent towards vulnerable youngsters finding love, acceptance, value and their rightful place in the world. What better investment could there be in the emotional health of future generations and society?”

“Giving through your Will is easy - and I am proud that my legacy will help continue this wonderful work” - Steve Clunes, former children’s services professional

“I first came across Coram through a trip to the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, and was touched by the story of care for the abandoned and orphaned children of 18th century London. It was an inspiring tale, not least in the dedication of the founder, Thomas Coram to bring the first children’s charity into existence.

“In later years, I worked in the delivery of services to children and young people. Through this, I got to know at first hand the desperately sad circumstances and awful challenges many young people face – when their start in life has been blighted by neglect, abuse, chaos and trauma. Coram, through its invaluable work with adoption and support, offers a lifeline to these young people and a chance to experience the love and care that most can take for granted. Giving through your Will is easy – and I am proud that my legacy will help continue this wonderful work.”

“I have remembered Coram in my Will because of the hard work and support they gave to my father” - Richard, Coram supporter

“I have remembered Coram in my Will because of the hard work and support they gave to my father, which they continue to give to thousands of children today. It wasn’t until after his death that I discovered my father had been a pupil of the Foundling Hospital from the age of four months old – I had never even heard of Coram and the Foundling Hospital before. Now that I know their history and how vital they are for vulnerable children, I am proud to leave Coram a legacy.”

We’re here to help you

My name is Rachael Corns and I have worked for Coram for over 10 years. I really enjoy talking to our supporters about how important gifts in Wills are, and finding out what motivates them to remember Coram in their Will. I would be very happy to talk through your plans to include Coram in your Will or answer any questions you might have in complete confidence.

I work Mondays to Wednesdays and can be contacted on:

rachael@coram.org.uk, 020 7520 0306 or Rachael Corns, Coram, 41 Brunswick Square, WC1N 2AZ