Donate FAQs

Imagine being unable to speak… unable to write… unable to use a standard keyboard or mouse.  How would you communicate?

More than a quarter of a million people in this country are born with communication impairments, or acquire communication impairments at any age through injury, illness, stroke or other neurological condition.

The right tools, equipment and support can transform lives – but only if people know they exist, know how to get them, and know how to use them.

Ace Centre’s national specialist information services enable people with the most complex needs achieve their goals.

Your support helps us to provide these services free of charge.

One off donations:  You can donate here on our giving site, or directly through bank transfer.

Regular giving:  You can sign up to give £1 a month or more here on our giving site or directly through your bank by setting up a standing order.  If you do this directly through your bank using our account details, please let us know so that we can look out for your donation.  If you prefer, you can complete this form and let us contact your bank.

Celebration gifts:  Some gifts really are priceless!  Ask your family and friends to donate to Ace Centre rather than give you another scented candle (no offence to scented candle givers!)  Or perhaps you could donate in place of a present for someone else.

Donate in memory:  Leaving a gift in memory of a loved one is a special way to help others.  Every gift really does make a difference – your donation will help us to improve the quality of life for children and adults with the most challenging communication needs by ensuring that they have prompt access to the advice and support they need so they can achieve their goals.

Gift Aid is a UK tax incentive that enables tax-effective giving by individuals to charities in the United Kingdom.  It can only be reclaimed on money donated by UK taxpayers.

Gift Aid allows individuals who are subject to UK income tax to complete a simple, short declaration that they are a UK taxpayer.  Any cash donations that the taxpayer makes to the charity after making a declaration are treated as being made after deduction of income tax at the basic rate (20% in 2011), and the charity can reclaim the basic rate income tax paid on the gift from HMRC – i.e. for a basic-rate taxpayer, this adds approximately 25% to the value of any gift made under Gift Aid.

Originally, declarations had to be made in writing. Declarations can now be made orally, but the charity must confirm the declaration in writing and keep a copy of the confirmation.  If the taxpayer incorrectly makes a declaration, the charity is still able to reclaim the tax that should have been paid on the gift.

Learn more about how Gift Aid works.

How do I leave a gift in my will?

There are three main ways to leave a legacy or a gift in your will. Your solicitor or financial advisor will be able to check over everything for you, but the options are:

1. Residuary gift – the gift of either all or a share of what is left in your estate after all other gifts to family and friends plus taxes and expenses have been paid.
2. Pecuniary gift – the gift of a stated amount of money which is left to a named person, charity or other organisation. Inflation will reduce the value of these gifts over the years, so you should may want to revise them from time to time.
3. Specific gift – the gift of a specific item like a piece of jewellery, furniture or property, rather than a sum of money. The item must be described exactly and the name and address of the person or organisation to whom the gift has been left should be given.

I already have a will, do I need to make a new one, or can I just amend it?

If you already have a will and simply want to make some changes, you need to add a codicil, which is a separate instruction that is then kept with your will.

What next?

If you don’t have a will, or if you wish to update your current will to make a donation, you should consult your solicitor. If you do decide to include a donation to Ace Centre in your will, please let your solicitor know our Registered Charity Number in England and Wales (1089313), and our address:

Hollinwood Business Centre
Albert Street
Oldham
OL8 3QL

If you do plan to leave a donation in your will to Ace Centre it would help us so much if you could let us know of your intentions by emailing us or writing to the above address – please include your name and address details in the email. Your wishes of course will remain strictly confidential and this pledge will not be binding to you in anyway.

This depends on what you want to do! If you decide to fundraise for us, it’s important you choose something you enjoy doing. You could organise an event, get sponsored to do a challenge, sell merchandise or host a night in. No idea is too big or small.

Remember to speak to your employer. Some companies give match funding for events or they may allow you to host a dress down day, cake sale or other event to get everyone involved.

A key tip to successful fundraising is to make it easy for people to give, and a great way of doing this is to set up your own online fundraising page so that donations are always just a couple of clicks away.

There are many different online giving sites.  If you have done online fundraising yourself before, and already have an account with one of them, please feel free to use that.

If not, follow this link to JustGiving, and follow the simple steps to create your own page!

If you have any difficulties, please contact Ace Centre on 0800 080 3115 and we will be happy to assist!