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DDRC is grateful for every penny raised and to everyone who helps to raise them for the work we undertake here. Donations come from patients, their friends and relatives and other supporters such as Dive Clubs etc. and from a wide variety of sponsored and/or fundraising events. Groups such as Rotary Clubs and Lions Groups often raise money if one of their members has been a patient here or knows someone who has, Dive Clubs hold fund raising events, sometimes in response to one of their members being treated here and some Dive Clubs have an ongoing regular commitment to raise funds for us.
Funds raised go towards:

• Special equipment and projects to improve the patient experience
• Research

One of the easiest ways of donating is to become a Friend of DDRC. This not only helps to fund the Charity on a regular basis, but means that you can keep up with what is going on in the Charity through the quarterly Newsletter.

DDRC needs all the Friends it can get!

The Friends of DDRC is a formal group of staff, ex-patients and supporters of DDRC who help the charity by:

1. Paying an annual subscription (minimum £25 annum) which helps to provide the Charity with much needed funding. 
2. Helping to organise fund raising and awareness raising events.
3. Providing special perspectives to the staff on how services are run.

 

The Committee meets regularly and reports back to the Board of Trustees through its Chairman. The Committee comprises Trustees, DDRC staff and ex patients as follows:

 

• Chair - Mr Chris Richman – Trustee
• Mr Steve Horsham - Wife Ex Patient
• Mr Dave Pelly - Ex Patient
• Mr Keith Scrivin - Ex Patient and 1,000th Diver treated at DDRC

 

• Secretary - Vacant
• Mr Paul Dart - DDRC Senior Training Officer
• Miss Jane Pimlot - DDRC Chamber Logistics Officer

 

Friends of DDRC receive a regular newsletter with articles and “gossip” about what is going on within the Charity, and have the opportunity to have an input into the Charity by contacting Committee members if they wish.
For more information please contact the DDRC Administration Team at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or on the usual number – 01752 209999.

Click here to download an Friends of DDRC application form - PDF 59kb

Please Help DDRC By Joining The Friends Of DDRC

DDRC is lucky that many past patients, their friends, relatives, Dive Clubs and associated organisations such as Lions and Rotary Clubs raise funds for the Charity. DDRC Sponsorship Forms can be provided through our Administration Team for anyone wishing to hold a sponsored event on our behalf.
If invited (and within a reasonable distance), someone from DDRC will be happy to attend a meeting or event to give a short (or long) illustrated talk on the work we do. Dive Clubs and Fundraisers often donate the proceeds of such events to the Charity. Please contact the Administration Team at DDRC if you would like to discuss the possibilities.
We are always happy to receive news of fundraising events, and we have our own Public Relations Consultant who will be happy to help with Press Releases in the South and West of England and Wales, before and after events, if he can.
Donations can be sent to the Centre Manager at our address on the Contact Us page.

Justgiving make it easy to donate and raise funds for good causes like the DDRC.
It used to be a hassle. Lots of fussing around with cheques and envelopes and paper sponsorship forms. But thanks to the internet, it’s not like that any more.
Now anyone can create a fundraising page on Justgiving to collect donations in support of any sponsored event or appeal.

What are fundraising pages

They’re just like paper sponsorship forms used to be, except they’re online, so they don’t get all tatty round the edges. Instead of traipsing round your office asking people to give you cash, you simply create a fundraising page, email it out, and your supporters donate online.

To see the DDRC page on justgiving where you can donate online or create a fundraising page go to:
http://www.justgiving.com/ddrc/

Everyclick.com is a search engine that lets you search the web and benefit the charity of your choice.

All you need to do is select the charity you would like to support and then search the web as normal, there's absolutely no charge to you or the charities involved.

Everyclick allocates 50% of its gross revenue to charity each month. Each active charity receives a proportion of that sum equivalent to the proportion in which its supporters use the website relative to the supporters of other active charities.

To start raising money now for DDRC every time you search the web go to http://www.everyclick.com/ and signup.

What is a Legacy?

A legacy is a gift in a will to benefit other people or a charity. It is an important means of providing for your loved ones and of supporting causes which are important to you.

 

Why leave a legacy to the Diving Diseases Research Centre?

Your legacy can make a huge difference to the work of the Charity, not only in its own right, but also to act as matched funding to release grants from grant giving bodies. This could make it worth three to four times more than the original legacy.

Your action today will help ensure that the Charity can fulfil its commitments: to the service for divers and patients, the research and the training.

 

Legacies and Tax

Charitable legacies can save you tax.

Although husbands and wives can leave their estates to each other free of tax, on the second death the whole estate becomes liable to tax at 40%, with an allowance of the first £255,000 (from 9th April 2003).

In other words, everything that is left in the will above the threshold of £255,000 will be taxed at 40%.  Due to rising property prices, it is becoming increasingly common for estates to be worth more than this threshold.

One way to reduce this tax liability is to include a legacy to a charity in your Will. For every £10,000 above the threshold that is left in this way, a tax saving of £4,000 is made, as charitable legacies are tax free.

Your solicitor will be able to give more detailed advice about inheritance tax and how to reduce your liability in your Will.

 

What are the different types of Legacy?

There are several types, depending on what you own and how you intend to distribute it.

A residual legacy is the remainder of your estate, after debts and expenses have been paid off. It can be left in entirety to someone or an organisation, or shared among named beneficiaries. As an example, three children could receive a quarter each, with the final quarter left in your favourite cause.

A cash sum, or pecuniary legacy, often linked to inflation. An example would be £10,000 left to a charity, linked to the retail price index from the date of your will.

A reversionary legacy. This is where a benefit to someone during their lifetime, after which ownership is transferred to another beneficiary. A typical example is that of a house, where a relative may live until their death, when ownership passes to a charity.
 A specific legacy. You can also bequeath specific personal assets such as property, stocks and shares, books art and equipment. If you are considering leaving a collection of books or equipment related to diving to the charity we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your plans with you before you commit them to your will.

Suggested wordings for Legacies left to the Diving Diseases Research Centre

These suggested wordings can be incorporated into a new will or can be added by means of a codicil to an existing Will.

 

For the whole residue of an estate

“Subject to payment of my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses and any legacies, I give all the residue of my estate, both real and personal to The Diving Diseases Research Centre.  The receipt of the Treasurer, or other authorised officer, shall be sufficient discharge of the same.”

 

For a share in the residue of an estate.

“Subject to payment of my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses and any legacies, I give all the residue of my estate, both real and personal to and equally between the following…..
As to one part thereof (to Diving Diseases Research Centre), the receipt of the Finance Manager, or other authorised officer, shall be sufficient discharge of the same.”

For a cash sum

“I give to the Diving Diseases Research Centre the sum of £……. free of all taxes and duties and linked to the retail price index from today and I declare that the receipt of the Finance Manager or other authorised officer, shall be sufficient discharge of the same.”

For a specific legacy

“I give to the Diving Diseases Research Centre my: (full description of item/items and its/their location) absolutely and for the general purposes of Charity and I declare that the receipt of the Finance Manager or other authorised officer, shall be sufficient discharge of the same.”     

 

Deciding the purpose of your Legacy

When leaving a legacy to a relative or friend, you will normally want to let them decide what they will do with it, as their needs dictate.  It is always possible, however, to determine a specific purpose, if this is important to you. The same is true for a charitable legacy.  To provide the maximum flexibility in how your legacy is used, you may wish to leave this decision to the discretion of the Trustees of DDRC, who can then apply your legacy to whatever needs arise in the future.  The Charity will be grateful for this flexibility.

 

And finally…

If you decide to leave a legacy to the Diving Diseases Research Centre, it would greatly help us to know your intention, in strictest confidence.

Your response will help the Charity to measure the impact of the legacy promotion and to plan for the future. Your details will not be divulged to any other body. If you require further information please do not hesitate to contact us.