Charity
Remember A Charity calls on legal advisers to talk charitable Wills
W
ith charities across the country facing urgent funding needs and rising costs, national consortium Remember A Charity, is calling on legal advisers to make Will-writing clients aware of the option of leaving a charitable gift in their Will, after taking care of their loved ones.
Wills are a vital funding stream for charities and the consortium estimates that just a 4% increase in the proportion of people leaving a gift in this way could raise an extra £1 billion for good causes each year. Every day 100 people write a charity into their Will1, and within the next decade alone, that income is expected to bring in over £40 billion, 2 but there are still many people who are unaware they can leave a donation in this way. Remember A Charity is on a mission to normalise charitable gifts in Wills, working with over 800 solicitors and Willwriters across the UK, who have signed
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up to its Campaign Supporter scheme. Earlier this year, it3 found that one in five (22%) Wills handled by UK legal advisers now includes a charitable beneficiary.
Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity, says: “Solicitors and Willwriters play a crucial role in building understanding around gifts in Wills among their client base. Even the simplest of references to the option of leaving a gift to charity from a client’s Will can double the chances that they will do so. “For more and more people across the country, their Will is not just an opportunity to support loved ones, but a chance to leave a legacy. This income stream from gifts in Wills has never been more critical or valued.” The appeal comes in the build-up to the consortium’s annual Remember A Charity Week (5th-11th September), which serves as a springboard to raise
the topic of Will-writing with clients. Will-writers and solicitors who join Remember A Charity’s Campaign Supporter Scheme are listed in the consortium’s online directory of legal advisers and are issued with a resource pack to help them open up conversations with clients about charitable Will-writing during and beyond Remember A Charity Week. This includes logos, social media images, web banners, information sheets, press releases, templates and much more. Lucinda Frostick, adds: “Remember A Charity Week is a celebration of the huge impact of charitable bequests, ensuring that all clients are aware that they have the opportunity of leaving a gift in their Will, no matter how big or small.” To find out more or join Remember A Charity’s Campaign Supporter Scheme go to https://www.rememberacharity. org.uk/about-us/for-solicitors-will-writers/ join-us/
Hertfordshire Law Society Gazette
