Donations and Legacies

How You Can Help The Guild

The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles is an Educational Charity. Its aims are to promote, maintain, improve and advance education by encouraging the appreciation, knowledge and understanding of the art, history, heritage and techniques of the crafts of patchwork, appliqué and quilting.

The Guild has members in all parts of the world and through its membership of over 6000 is proud that the day to day running of the organisation is covered by annual subscriptions.

Preserving and promoting our heritage and expanding education opportunities are the main focus of our special requirements. The development and preservation of our nationally acclaimed heritage collection has always been central to our appeals and donations campaigns.

Many of our members give generously to Guild funds, not only by donations to special projects and general funds during their lifetime, but also by remembering The Guild in their Wills. Additionally The Guild has benefited by gifts not only of heritage quilts and hangings but also books, (particularly for research purposes) tools and templates. All the gifts cannot always be accepted with the intention that they remain the property of The Guild but such donations can be used to raise funds for The Guild. We ask that any gifts to The Guild allow the Trustees to make the final decisions for their use as the needs of The Guild require.

However there are always special projects for which donations and legacies are sought. These projects usually fall within the major educational aims of The Guild and are connected to the education not only of our members but of the public as a whole (both adult and young persons or students). Any special project or fund raising activity for The Guild is always meticulously researched for its feasibility, and reviewed, so that we are satisfied each project is worthwhile and will add to the promotion and research knowledge of The Guild.

Gifts or legacies are most welcome and we can assist with the specialised knowledge to enable your gift to benefit The Guild as you would wish.

Contact the Administrator at St Anthony's Hall, York or discuss any specific gift with the Council member for Heritage or Education. For the most effective way to make your gift the Treasurer will be consulted.

A General Gift To The Guild

If you leave a gift in this way The Guild will generally use the money either to help complete an existing project within its charitable remit or to fund a new project. Gifts will generally not form part of the daily running budgets of The Guild.

You may find the following form of words suitable if you wish to leave a general legacy to the guild in your Will.

"I give to The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles registered charity number 1067361 the sum of £..."

Or to leave a share in your whole estate:

"I give to The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles registered charity number 1067361 a (state fraction chosen) share of the residue of my estate."

NO INHERITANCE TAX WILL BE PAYABLE ON YOUR GIFT TO THE GUILD

A Gift For Specific Purposes

If you would like a legacy to benefit specific projects within The Guild e.g. Education or Heritage work this can either be specified in your Will, or by a letter expressing your preferences left with a general legacy. A specific appeal may be finished before your death.

Operation of a bursary or prize fund involves considerable administration costs. We would not want to use other Guild income in fulfilling your legacy terms and we suggest you discuss any proposals for bursaries or awards with the Education Officer. Legacies specifically for the Quilt Acquisition Fund or for maintenance of the Heritage Quilt collection are encouraged.

Money for acquisition, or maintenance of Guild property or establishment of a study or heritage centre should be in general terms to allow flexibility within the spirit of your intention.

A Gift of Specific Items

If you would like to leave The Guild quilts or specific items in your Will we ask that you use following wording for your gift.

"I give to The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles, Registered Charity Number 1067361, the following without creating any trust or legal obligation namely (list quilts or other items). It is my wish that The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles should use it/them in such manner as it shall in its absolute discretion think fit."

If The Guild cannot retain your gift (e.g. because we hold similar items) we would hope you would agree that we can benefit from the value of that item and allow a purchaser to enjoy the ownership of your gift.

The Guild is always interested in acquiring specific quilts and other items for the Heritage and Education collections.

For more details contact the Treasurer at St Anthony's Hall, Peasholme Green, York. YO1 7PW.

The One Who Dies With The Most Fabrics... Wins!

Rather a corny statement from an American source!

Our ideal is surely to use our last scrap of fabric shortly before we die. If we are in the usual mould of fabric acquirers this is unlikely to happen so we need to make some suggestions to our families who may be faced with our cherished collections of fabrics, quilts, UFO's ,sewing implements and patterns and which they know better than to consign to the tip! We may not be lucky enough to have a daughter or younger relative who is as addicted to our craft or collections as we have been.

Here are some suggestions to help put your "collections" to good use.

Leave with your Will or personal papers the names of two or three of your quilting friends who your family can ask to go through and help sort out your quilting possessions. Put this suggestion list with your papers to help your family.

Do remember:

The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles. Many of your friendships came through The Guild and probably a Guild member started your local group. The Guild certainly promoted the growth of Patchwork and stimulated the vast array of classes and shops available today. They are a research and heritage source and would be delighted to be offered:

BOOKS - historical, reference, textiles, social history, colour, design and fabric history and construction as well as the more everyday "how to". There are some gaps in the library which is increasingly being used as a research and reference source as well as a lending library. Magazines and catalogues (e.g. early Laura Ashley catalogues) are valuable for dating fabrics.

FABRICS - please not your whole collection (!) but historical: i.e. pre-1980 British fabrics for use for reference purposes in identifying dates and makes of fabric and for use for restoration and repair of our quilt collection.

SEWING ARTIFACTS - particularly old templates (with origins) quilt threads, sewing tools, patterns for patchwork and quilting. These are part of our social history as well as the history of quilt construction.

QUILTS AND WALLHANGINGS - either old or with specific interest in design or fabric (with the history or provenance if possible) and modern quilts that have won prizes in National Exhibitions (with working drawings, inspiration, dates and photos). We hold a collection of museum status quilts and parts of the collection are frequently displayed for the education and enjoyment of the public.

Please, before you go, spend time labelling your quilts and other possessions with their history or story. The family may not remember your verbal stories or dates and certainly not any intricacies of fabrics or memories.

Your Regional Organisation. Most regions have regional days and area days each year which are an ideal venue for offering surplus items for use by other fellow addicts!

The Region can find good homes for:

FABRICS - These could be sold at a regional day or given away to make quilts to benefit The Guild or another charity.

QUILTS - Both finished and UFO's. Again these can be used as a raffle or sold to raise money for The Guild or your favourite causes.

BOOKS - Is there a regional library? Otherwise there are specialist book dealers where the books can be sold or a sale at a Guild event. What about a local school?

Your quilting friends and local quilt group can use your fabrics and raise funds for your charities or make a memento of your life for your family or a local organisation.

WHO ELSE? Young Quilters always need encouragement. Does a local handicapped group do any sewing? Your local art college may use and enjoy your more way out fabrics or those not suitable for patchwork as well as your design paper etc.

MEANWHILE KEEP SEWING AND USE AS MUCH OF YOUR HOARD AS YOU CAN BUT CAN YOU EVER RESIST THE ODD "FAT QUARTER" JUST TO ADD TO THE COLLECTION?!