Joe Mitty died in September 2007. He has completed 88 years at the time of his passing. He founded Oxfam and opened their first store in 1949. He led the way as Oxfam opened more stores country wide until he retired way back in 1982.
He was a former army major whose wife, Dorothy, died in 1995 when she left their sons Andrew and Roger, £150,000 each.
Joe left instructions in his will to leave the rest of his £500,000 estate to be divided equally between 5 charities, but absolutely nothing to his beloved Oxfam.
He left money to The Botley Alzheimer’s Home, The Oxford Children’s Hospital Campaign, the Alzheimer’s Society, Sobell House Hospice Charity and Cancer Research UK.
Apparently, he believed that the legacy he left to Oxfam was so great in the number of shops opened and the money raised, that he just wanted to help some other charities as well.
It’s up to the person leaving the estate (called the testator) in their will to say who they want to leave money to. There are some caviats to that; in England and Wales you don’t have to leave money to children over 18 unless they depend upon your money when you’re alive, but in Scotland you do have to leave them money at all ages. You do have to leave money to others who have depended on you for home and money, perhaps a gardener or butler and you do have to leave money to your debts and the taxman; but only if you have enough as they are among those who get the first say over your estate, after the funeral director and his/her costs.
However, essentially, it’s up to you and if you need advice then a consultant from LSUK will help explain the rules local to you.
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