Leave a gift in your Will

The V&A is dedicated to the power of creativity – its power to entertain and move, enrich our lives, open our minds and change the world. If you believe, like us, that an innate love of creativity is what makes us human, then leaving a gift to the V&A in your Will is a joyful and profound way to help secure our future.

To help you plan your legacy, or to request a hard copy of our guide to leaving a gift in your Will, please contact our Legacy team.

Every legacy, whatever the size, makes a lasting difference. You can remember the V&A in your Will by including:

Download our guide for more information, such as suggested wording for your solicitor.

You can choose whether your legacy donation supports a particular department, an activity close to your heart, or simply wherever the need is is greatest at the time.

We recognise the generosity of our valued legacy donors with their name on an object label, or – for transformational gifts – on the wall of a gallery or attached to a curatorial post.

Contact us to ensure your wishes can be met.

As a charity, we depend upon gifts in Wills of all sizes. We will always follow your wishes and work sensitively with your executors to allocate your gift appropriately.

Over the years, legacy gifts have helped us in a variety of ways – from acquiring breathtaking objects, to conserving our historic buildings and funding life-changing education work.

See how legacy gifts have helped:

Benjamin Rowlandson was a keen photographer who left an unrestricted residuary gift to the V&A in his Will in 2020. To reflect his interests, his legacy was directed towards building our new Photography Centre, which now showcases our world-leading photography collection.

Derek Woodman had a particular love of Modernist design. As a longstanding member he loved visiting the museum with his partner. He left a generous donation in his Will to the V&A, which helped us purchase the Mae West Lips sofa – an iconic Surrealist piece of furniture. His partner and family were thrilled with this acquisition, as they remembered Derek had enjoyed seeing another Mae West Lips sofa when he was alive.

James Yorke-Radleigh included a gift in his Will to the V&A, stipulating that the money be used for the annual purchase of a contemporary piece of silverwork.

Priscilla Fernando had been a member of the V&A for many years. She took much pleasure in taking her children and grandchildren around the museum and firmly believed in giving young people access to a cultural education and the wonders of the V&A collections. Her family were therefore thrilled that her generous legacy gift supported the transformation of the former Museum of Childhood into Young V&A, our new museum for children in Bethnal Green. Now critically acclaimed, Young V&A has had record visitor numbers since opening in July 2023, igniting creativity in hundreds of thousands of young people.

Having an up-to-date Will is the only way to be sure that your estate and the things you have worked hard for go to the people and causes that you care most about.

The V&A has partnered with Bequeathed, an online service that allows you to write or update your Will, free of charge from the comfort of your own home.

Writing your Will with Bequeathed is simple:

1. Complete the online questionnaire. Support and guidance are available throughout the process.

2. Receive written legal advice from Bequeathed's solicitor

3. Book a free, 30-minute appointment with a solicitor to discuss this advice in more detail, if desired

4. Receive your Will with a Letter of Advice summarising the advice you've been given, along with instructions about signing and witnessing your Will correctly

Should your circumstances be too complicated for a basic Will, Bequeathed will provide a no-obligation quote for any additional legal work required.

Bequeathed is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and offers legal advice from qualified solicitors, so you can be confident that a Will from Bequeathed will protect your loved ones. All V&A supporters are welcome to make use of this service.

If you have already included a gift in your Will to the V&A, please know how grateful we are. You don't need to inform us of your intentions, but we would be delighted if you did choose to let us know, so we can thank you properly and welcome you to the Henry Cole Circle.

Named after the first director of the museum, the Henry Cole Circle thanks and recognises our valued legacy pledgers.

As a member of the Henry Cole Circle, you would:

If you have a question that has not been answered here, take a look at our FAQs page.

If you would like to find out more about including a gift in your Will, or to request a physical copy of our guide, please contact us:

If you would prefer to meet in person to discuss legacy plans, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you are an executor for a legacy supporting the V&A, please get in touch at the start of the administration process so we can help guide you in creating a meaningful legacy for the person in question.

For audit purposes we are required to have a copy of the Will and Grant of Probate on file.

Email: legacy@vam.ac.uk
Telephone: 020 7942 2716
Address: V&A Legacies, Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL