Making a long-term impact

I've cared about animals from a very young age.

I became a vet because I wanted to help them, and during that time, I discovered the degree of suffering that intensively farmed animals experience.

Ever since then, I have devoted myself to ending factory farming.

Sadly, it is one of the biggest causes of suffering on the planet for animals, and ending it is going to take a considerable amount of time. I hoped it would be in my lifetime. It probably won't, unfortunately, given the level of suffering.

Setting up my Will, and thinking about a future where hens are freed from cages once and for all and where chickens no longer have suffering coded into their DNA, I recognised that The Humane League UK’s (THL UK) work is long-term. So by leaving a gift to them in my Will, I know that even after I'm gone, I will still be contributing to ending factory farming for good.

The work that THL UK does is so important, and the reality is that it takes money. They are a small charity with limited resources, working with other similar small charities to dismantle one of the most powerful and widespread industries in the world.

It gives me peace of mind that my gift will go a long way in helping to continue their successes for animals.

My choice was based on knowing that, typically, when people think about helping and giving money for animals, it often goes to smaller-scale projects for cats and dogs, shelters or sanctuaries. I wanted to look at how I could have the biggest impact for animals. An organisation like THL UK has such potential for impact on animals at such a grand scale, and if I was to give that same money to another organisation it may not help as many individuals.

My advice to anyone just getting started with their Will is to think about what the change is you want to see in the world. And if that change is a world without factory farming, then THL UK is a great option to make the biggest difference with your money. Their work impacts millions upon millions of animals every year.

I didn’t have a Will, but I wanted to make sure that I had thought through what I wanted to do with my assets. I was worried about how complicated making a Will was going to be but it was actually very simple. I always thought it would be prohibitively costly but it was affordable. I found an online Will writing service and they took me through the process step by step. They asked relevant questions about where I wanted to leave my money - relatives, companion animals and charities, and then talked me through what type of gifts I could leave. I came out of this process with a Will that was legal and binding, and that I was fully content with.

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It’s amazing that you can continue to have an impact long after you're no longer here, for what is important to you.

When I was writing my Will, I considered family members and charities that I wanted to leave money to. To me, the future world I want for my niece and nephew, who are both animal lovers, is a kinder one, and I can achieve that by leaving a gift in my Will to charity.

I would recommend anyone having a Will. Not second-guessing what it is that you would have wanted can help grieving loved ones, and take responsibility off them.

It’s amazing that you can continue to have an impact long after you're no longer here, for what is important to you. In my case, that means reducing animal suffering and ending factory farming. Knowing that I can support this crucial work after I've gone and still be able to help animals means a lot to me.

Between 2017 and 2025, Vicky Bond has held the positions of President of The Humane League, Chair of Trustees for The Humane League UK, and Managing Director of The Humane League UK