Wills/Bequests
Lightening the load...
For over 30 years, the internationally recognised ship-based charity Mercy Ships has been lifting burdens by providing FREE medical, dental and community development aid to the poorest nations of the earth. Mercy Ships operates the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. She is nearly the length of two football fields, has six state of the art operating theatres and 78 hospital beds.
More than 7000 free surgeries are performed each year on the Africa Mercy. This is made possible by the goodwill of the volunteer medical and support staff who pay their way to the ship and the generous contributions of supporters in the developed world.
Much more needs to be achieved... you can help
Reaching out to lighten the load of one's fellowman is one of humanity's highest ideals. It is also the reason Mercy Ships exists. When our hospital ship leaves a port after ten months of restoring people's health, our crew have the satisfaction of knowing they have lifted the burdens of thousands of life's weary travellers and a small part of the world is better off as a result of their being there.
You too can help shoulder the load. By remembering Mercy Ships in your Will, you can help future generations to rise out of the despair of chronic ill-health and poverty. Not only will people see, walk or smile for the first time, you could even transform the lives of an entire village through one of our many development projects.
Your gift takes us one step closer to a world where no-one is left to suffer simply because they have no access to health care and other basic necessities. That has to be a future worth investing in!
Making a Will
Preparing a Will is an opportunity for a person to acknowledge and provide support for loved ones... and leave a gift for a cause close to their heart. If you die without a Will, the law decides how your estate is distributed, and the people or causes you really care about may miss out.
What is a bequest?
Bequests are a simple but incredibly powerful way to provide support for the causes that matter to you. They transform your Will into one of the most potent tools for change there is, with little or no impact on your lifestyle today. Best of all, if you choose to include what is known as a "Residuary Bequest" in your Will, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing your loved ones will be catered for without sacrificing your long term support for Mercy Ships projects.
Residuary Bequests
There are different ways you can remember Mercy Ships in your Will, but the bequest we recommend is the "Residuary Bequest". Residuary Bequests are simply a gift of what is left of your estate - or a percentage thereof - after all your other gifts, taxes and debts have been fulfilled.
As they are not specific amounts of money, this sort of bequest keeps its value regardless of inflation over the years. It means the gift you include today is worth as much when the time comes to put it to work to transform the lives of those living with chronic ill-health and poverty.
There are other bequest options you may wish to discuss with your solicitor.
Suggested Bequest wording
Suggested wording for a simple Residuary Bequest to Mercy Ships is as follows:
I ________ give, devise and bequeath to Mercy Ships Australia Ltd, 4/24 Bulcock St, Caloundra, in the State of Queensland, free from all duties and taxes, the following ____ percentage OR the remainder of my estate and I declare that the receipt of the Mercy Ships Chief Executive Officer or other authorised officer shall be sufficient discharge to my trustees who shall not be obligated to see the application thereof.
More information
If you have any questions, or would like to speak to someone about making a bequest to Mercy Ships, please contact us on (07) 5437 2992. We have trained staff that would be more than happy to talk to you about this important decision. Mercy Ships can also provide you with a Wills and Bequests information pack at your request.
Legal advice
Mercy Ships recommends seeking legal advice when preparing your Will as there are many factors that need to be considered.