When was your first visit to the Horniman? You might have been brought by a parent, or grandparent, or maybe you visited with your school or community group. Who have you brought for their first visit? What is your favourite memory of visiting the Horniman?
The Horniman opened its doors in 1901 as a place to connect with history, culture and the natural world. Since then, generations of families from London and beyond have grown up with the Horniman as a constant delight, wonder and resource for life-long learning. By remembering the Horniman in your will you can ensure that many generations to come can enjoy our collections, galleries and gardens.
The Horniman has been part of our lives for more than 40 years - a place we've enjoyed good times with family and friends and found some peace in the gardens when times were challenging. The Horniman deserves our support and we want it to be able to offer future generations as much as it has given us so we have included a legacy in our wills.
How a gift in your will can help
The Horniman is the only museum in London where nature and culture can be seen side-by-side, and we are at the forefront of the UK’s heritage sector in engaging diverse communities and thoughtful curating. Leaving a gift in your will is one of the most valuable ways you can help is to continue our work. Your gift, no matter what size, could enable us to:
- Nurture future generations of researchers, scientists and activists by delivering our fantastic learning programme to even more school children.
- Carry out thorough research and conservation of our 350,000 objects spanning world cultures, natural history, and music.
- Grow our music programme and support emerging artists from South London.
- Fund essential repairs to our historic listed buildings, ensuring the collection can continue to be housed safely and the museum is accessible to all.
- Care for the animals across our site and improve biodiversity in our gardens.
And so much more. There are always new and exciting projects on our horizon, and we need your help to make them a reality. The most useful legacies, no matter how big or small, are those which are left to our general work, so we can use them where the need is greatest. However, if you wish to leave your gift to a particular area of our work, please speak directly to our Fundraising Team.
Remembering the Horniman in your will
Leaving a legacy gift is a remarkable way to celebrate the many wonderful memories you have made at the Horniman. We understand that making a legacy gift is an important and personal decision, and that your family and loved ones must come first. If you do decide to leave a gift of any amount it is our promise that we will act with compassion and discretion.
The Horniman has a full charitable status (charity number: 802725), so leaving a gift in your will to us is a tax efficient way of supporting some incredible work and can help to reduce the inheritance tax burden on your family.
There are a number of ways to remember a charity in your will. You can decide to leave a residuary, pecuniary or a specific gift. A residuary gift is a percentage of your remaining estate, while a pecuniary gift is a specified amount. You can read our comprehensive guide to making your will for recommendations, will writing resources and helpful tips for writing your will.
Become closer to the Horniman
If you do choose to leave a gift to the Horniman please let us know so we can ensure that your gift is recognised and remembered thoughtfully. It is our promise that we will act with discretion and compassion.
A gift to the Horniman can be a wonderful way to honour someone special to you, and we also have beautiful spaces available for hire to hold funerals and wakes to celebrate a loved one’s life.