How a gift in your Will can advance cancer research

Your legacy could help transform a discovery made in the laboratory into a treatment that saves thousands of lives world-wide. It could:

• Fund the purchase of cutting-edge laboratory equipment
• Train the next generation of cancer researchers
• Enable us to set up new research programmes

We have a long history of discovery in cancer research – and we’ve made great strides forward in recent years. But while 167,000 people a year die from cancer in the UK, there remains an urgent need to further expand our knowledge of cancer and how to manage it. 

How do legacy gifts work?

We receive a legacy when someone leaves a gift to the ICR in their Will. If you want to leave us a gift, we recommend you use a solicitor or professional Will writer to write or update your Will. They’ll make sure it’s properly written, and check there are no mistakes.

There are three different types of legacy you can leave:

1. A share in your estate - this is called a residuary legacy
2. A sum of money - this is called a pecuniary legacy
3. A specific gift 

Having a valid, up-to-date Will is very important to ensure that your loved ones and the cause you care about are provided for after you die. If you already have a Will, it is recommended that you review it every five years as your personal situation could have changed and it may no longer reflect your wishes.

Find out more about making a Will and leaving a legacy gift to fund ground-breaking cancer research.

Order our free legacy guide

If you're over 60 and looking to update your Will, you may be eligible for our Will for Free service. 

Our Will for Free service

Alternatively, if we don’t have a solicitor near you, we have also partnered with The National Free Wills Network which puts you in touch with a solicitor local to you. There are over 900 solicitors involved in the Network, all over the UK. To enquire about writing your Will with a local solicitor, please fill out the following form, or you can email [email protected] for further information.

The National Free Wills Network Form

Next steps

If you have any questions about how to leave a gift in your Will to the ICR, please call our Legacy Team on 020 7153 5387 or email [email protected].

The ICR is not registered with the Charity Commission because we are a college of the University of London, and this is standard for long-standing universities and museums. Our exempt reference number is X90004.