Leaving a Legacy to Pembroke

Legacies from past generations have enabled the College to promote scholarship and research, to educate undergraduates and to develop and maintain its buildings and gardens. All Members have benefited from this past generosity and the College is confident that the present generation will want to ensure that the Pembroke's traditions of excellence are maintained for the benefit of current and future Junior Members.

As an exempt charity, the College pays no tax whatever on gifts of money or property bequeathed to it by a legacy. In addition, a bequest to Pembroke may have tax benefits for your estate by reducing the amount liable to Inheritance Tax. (In 2009-10 this is the excess over £325,000.)

Anyone choosing to support the College in this way can be sure that their gift will be used wisely and for the direct benefit of the College. Legacies can be directed towards specific areas but contributions marked 'for general purposes' are more flexible as they will allow the College to respond to changing needs in years to come.

Permanent forms of recognition include the naming of Fellowships, Scholarships, rooms and staircases in the College. Membership of the Matthew Wren Society is open to anyone who has notified the College of their intention to benefit the College in their Will. An annual lunch is held in College each autumn which members and their guests are invited to attend.

The Matthew Wren Society

All Members who inform the College that they have included Pembroke as a beneficiary in their Will become members of the Matthew Wren Society. Established in 1997, it gives the College the opportunity to thank legacy pledgers for their generosity, during their lifetime.

An annual society lunch is held in October and Members are most welcome to bring a guest with them.

Members of the Society are also listed in the Annual Gazette, subject to their permission being given for their name to be published.

Wording

It is important that the correct wording is used when a bequest is made. This preferred wording is:

"I give to the Master Fellows and Scholars of the College or Hall of Valence Mary commonly called Pembroke College in the University of Cambridge the residue / [a proportion] of the residue of my estate / the sum of £[amount] free of tax for the general purposes of the College and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer for the time being of the College shall be a sufficient discharge to my executors."

For more information, please contact the Legacy Officer, Sally March, on +44 (0)1223 339079.