What will you pass onto the next generation?

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Leaving a legacy with VSO is simple and can help support projects for years to come. We speak to three VSO supporters about why they have decided to leave a gift to VSO in their Will.

What it means to leave a Legacy with VSO

The legacy you leave behind is the world you want for future generations. This can be through the knowledge and skills you have shared, the people you have helped, the security of your loved ones. It can also be what you perhaps can’t afford to give now but can later.

Mike Canty has been a VSO supporter for over 30 years and recently made the decision to leave money to VSO in his will. As a long-term supporter of VSO, the decision for him was an easy one:

“It seemed quite natural to leave some money to a charity in my Will. It not only helps support a country, but helps give it the means to support itself. It would both support volunteers and leave a legacy in the country in which they are working,” said Mike.

Mike Canty describes why he has left a gift to VSO in his Will.

Leaving a Legacy

Ed Bridge volunteered with VSO in 1963 in Sierra Leone. Before passing away in 2018, he included VSO in his Will to help continue his impact for many years to come. His son, Robin, explains what VSO meant to his father and the impact it has left on him and his sister growing up.

“My dad always drilled into me and my sister the importance of putting back. The fact that if nobody volunteers then nobody makes a difference. His legacy to us was the fact that we should think about contributing and volunteering,” said Robin.

Robin speaks about his father's Legacy.

Enduring gratitude

Fiona McLeod has supported VSO for over 50 years. First, she volunteered in Malaysia in 1968 as a midwife and then again in in 2005 where she was a Management Advisor in Ethiopia. She stayed in contact with the community she worked with and remained a passionate VSO supporter. Now, Fiona has decided to leave a gift to VSO in her Will.

VSO has had a huge impact on my life, both from my legacy in Malaysia and my time in Ethiopia.
Fiona McLeod
VSO volunteer

“Volunteering was a huge experience. The people I worked with were lovely, beautiful people. VSO has had a huge impact on my life both from my legacy in Malaysia and my time in Ethiopia.

“When I was looking at writing a Will, I felt it was really important that VSO was helped to continue doing the work,” Fiona explained.

“If people have any experience working abroad at all and know about the value of small steps to helping people... then if that’s important they should look at how they leave money in their will and think seriously about leaving a legacy.”

Fiona explains what VSO means to her.

Find out more about leaving a legacy with VSO

"I want the next generation to benefit from my legacy"

Charles knows his time in Tanzania gave him skills that lasted throughout his life. He has generously left a gift in his Will to VSO. Here, he tells us why.

"Volunteering was one of the best times of my life - so I'm remembering it in my Will"

Chris is passionate about the role volunteering can play in changing lives around the world and so has left a gift in his Will to VSO. He shares the experiences that fostered a strong trust in VSO’s legacy.