The Charity Pages Issue 11

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Charitable thoughts...

In the last issue of The Charity Pages we reported on how the projection for a fall in legacy income had been revised to a more encouraging view. That brighter picture has been strengthened with the publication of a report by leading organisations in the field of legacy administration and marketing. The report predicts a doubling in legacy income in the next 30 years.

On a more immediate level, legacy incomes have held up through the pandemic when other income streams have been badly hit.

• Accessing legacy incomes has also been made easier by the improvements made by HMCTS in processing probate applications. The ‘perfect storm’ suffered last year was further exacerbated by COVID-19, but a number of improvements were welcomed by legacy professionals.

• The pandemic has been sending much economic and administrative activity online, of course. That applied to the annual Legacy Strategy Summit, organised by Wilmington.

It was, by all accounts, a highly successful event. For the first time an international dimension allowed charities from both sides of the Atlantic to compare notes.

• Taking the administration of wills online has also been to the fore with the publication of two important documents.

The Law Society has issued guidance to lawyers on the procedure for witnessing wills via video link. An important caveat is that the change in legislation does not allow retrospective witnessing using a video recording.

The other document regarded the lodging of applications for probate for professionals. The government’s response to a consultation on making online application mandatory has taken the process a step forward.

• The online world isn’t all positive, however. It is just one avenue fraudsters use to carry out their crimes – and charities are a prime target, particularly with the approach of the Festive Season. The Charity Commission and Fraud Advisory Panel have come together to provide guidance.

• With Christmas on the horizon charities are feeling the need to replace their traditional festive fundraising with online variants. One of the main platforms for online giving offers some last-minute ideas • Not everyone is imbued with the Christmas spirit. One of this publication’s regular advertisers, Friends of the Animals, suffered an arson attack at one of its treatment centres during November, causing distress – but thankfully not injury – to both animals and human volunteers.

In this issue...

CONTENTS 19

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Joint report finds legacies can strengthen charities’ resilience

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New research looks at digital fundraising

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Charity bodies welcome movement on probate backlog

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Govt takes step towards mandatory online probate for professionals

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Guidance issued to lawyers on video-witnessing

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Excellence in Legacy Administration conference goes online

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Online summit addresses legacy issues of tomorrow

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Anti-fraud body warns charities of increasing risk

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Commission outlines scale of fraud problem

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Donations are just a text message away

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New e-book offers advice on a post-COVID strategy

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Report finds preference service provides a useful service

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Tampon Tax benefits women and girls’ charities

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Charity shops’ body calls for government aid

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We wish you a merry fundraiser!

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Safe in a ‘foster home’ with friends: one of many animal success stories The photograph on the right of border collie Nipper was taken on the same day that he’d been taken to a vet’s to be put to sleep.

Purchased as a ‘surprise’ gift, he was unwanted. The beautiful puppy was just eight weeks old and is just one of over 9,000 animals rescued

by Friends of the Animals.

There was a happy ending as – now renamed Stanley – he was rehomed with one of the charity’s voluntary drivers, who adores him.

Friends of the Animals began in March 1990 and had very humble beginnings. Veterinary treatment is invariably the charity’s biggest outgoing and to date they have spayed or neutered 41,300 animals.

Thousands more have been wormed and inoculated – often for the first time in their lives!

Founder Helen Sinclair MBE, who was honoured for Services to Animal Welfare in 2014, takes up the story: “There have been many memorable cases, where we’ve saved animals’ lives against all the odds. Animals such as the puppy who slipped under the railings of a balcony – luckily bouncing off the conservatory roof which broke her fall. Then there was the dog who fell down a manhole in the road after someone had removed the cover, and poor Marshall, who had three broken legs and a severed ear.

“Susie, a Labrador/Staffy cross (pictured above left), was badly burnt in a house fire, but made a good recovery; and the dear little cat on the right had everything wrong with him, but survived and thrived.”

Pictured below is the hook that 11-month-old Spaniel/Dachshund cross Darcy swallowed

while walking on the beach.

The fisherman who carelessly discarded it could have had absolutely no idea of the immense suffering – or money – his actions that day cost. An X-ray revealed the hook was dangerously lodged in her oesophagus and the first vet she went to couldn’t remove it, so Darcy was referred to a specialist vet. Their first attempt – at a cost of £4,000 – failed to reach it, but the second attempt was successful and happily she made a complete recovery.

Gifts in wills fund more than one in three veterinary treatments and so legacies are an absolute lifeline to the rescue and spaying/neutering work carried out

by Friends of the Animals.

Helen continued: “Friends of the Animals has a policy of non-destruction, unless an animal is sick or injured with no hope of recovery, and we keep admin costs to a minimum.

Very importantly, around 98% of our staff are volunteers, which ensures as much of your gift as possible is spent on saving animals.”

Pitted against that constant battle to save animals was the action of the person who set fire to the front of the charity’s building on the Isle of Wight.

“But, happily,” said Helen, “we're a resilient team and together with the help of supporters, we barely skipped a beat and just kept on going.

“We truly appreciate that people have many choices regarding charities to support, but no one appreciates it more, or tries harder than we do, to get the very best possible use from every penny donated. Thank you for your consideration.”

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Kidney Kids Scotland turns 20 in 2020

Legacies mean so much to our Kidney Kids

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KIDNEY KIDS SCOTLAND, a very small charity with a huge heart, has for the last 20 years supported Scottish children with renal and urology conditions. The main aim of the charity has always been to enable these children to receive treatment as close to home as possible and minimise disruption to the family unit.

In addition the charity helps hospitals all over Scotland, supplying them with much needed equipment and funding posts recognised as being essential. Chronic Kidney disease is a condition that has no cure and that children and their families must learn to live with.

IMAGINE your child only being able to drink 400mls in one day. That’s less than two cartons of juice – a can of juice is 500mls.

IMAGINE being a parent where you must be home before 8pm every single night to ensure your child gets their daily home dialysis.

IMAGINE not being able to take your family abroad or too far away from the hospital because your child cannot go without their dialysis. This HAS to happen in hospital 3 or 4 times EVERY week.

IMAGINE your child missing out on school education, social activities, family members’ birthday celebrations, a sibling’s sports day or a family wedding because you need to make sure they receive their life saving dialysis treatment.

IMAGINE your child spending their birthday and/or Christmas Day in hospital and not being able to see their friends from week to week. q IMAGINE LIVING WITH KIDNEY DISEASE For more information about Kidney Kids Scotland please visit our website at www.kidneykids.org.uk, call 01324 555843 or email office@kidneykids.org.uk Kidney Kids Scotland can help in many ways

Do the wise thing – help protect owls [THE OWLS TRUST is a small charity doing a big job – and an

important one. At its headquarters, Bodafon Farm Park in Llandudno, it has one of the best collections of owls on display to the public in the UK, and it is entirely free to visit every day of the year.

The trust became a registered charity in 2001, recognising that there was an urgent need for an organisation to rescue owls and birds of prey in North Wales. Its mission statement is “Saving the world, one owl at a time”.

There are three main strands to the Owls Trust’s work.

Trustee Pam Broughton explained: “Firstly, we provide rescue and rehabilitation for injured birds of prey. We nurse the wild birds back to health, and when they are ready we release them back into a suitable habitat.”

They are often asked to step in to rescue ‘pet’ owls. Those birds are frequently distressed and in poor condition.

Said Pam: “When we can, we give them a permanent home with us, where they can regain a good quality of life in more spacious and appropriate surroundings suitable to their species.”

The trust’s second activity is to educate young people and older groups about our birds of prey, their place in the environment and

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how their habitats can be maintained to protect the bio-diversity of our countryside. Each year the trust’s staff visit over 170 schools and institutions with their owls.

Finally, they work with international partners to create and maintain breeding stocks of the world’s rarest owls.

Pam declared: “When imperilled habitats can be restored and protected, we will then be able to enhance threatened populations or even reintroduce new groups.”

The Owls Trust relies on public generosity and support to continue its work in the care and rehabilitation of owls: it receives no public funding.

“So if you love owls as we do,” said Pam Broughton, “please consider remembering The Owls Trust in your will.” q

Joint report finds legacies can strengthen charities’ resilience [ A NEW REPORT produced jointly by Remember A Charity,

Legacy Foresight, the Institute of Legacy Management and Smee & Ford has cast light on how the gift in wills sector has been affected by and responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

The report, Strengthening Charities' Resilience with Legacies, points out that the legacy market has remained resilient through the pandemic, despite some promotional activity being cut back, while other income streams for charities has shrunk. Indeed, the report predicts that income from legacies could double in the next 30 years, with Legacy Foresight anticipating a growth of 23% in the number of legacies in the next decade alone. When surveyed, over a third of charities said legacies bring in more than 30% of their annual income, with 11% saying it brings in more than half.

The report begins by examining the current position in regard to legacy giving, identifying that 65% of charities see legacies as a top priority for fundraising. The authors point to the unprecedented transfer of wealth that is set to occur over the next couple of decades, with legacy values being bolstered by the continuing boom in house prices. Campaigns such as Remember A Charity have borne fruit in increasing the number of legacies.

In her foreword, Polly Avgherinos, managing director of Smee & Ford, writes: “Over the past 20 years we have witnessed a positive change in legacy giving, with the number of people leaving a gift to charity, the value of charitable estates and the resulting value of charitable gifts in wills all growing strongly.”

The report places great emphasis on the need for charities to continue to promote will writing as an integral part of legacy marketing, with the number of wills set to soar as the ‘babyboomer’ generation ages.

Caution is counselled, however, with Rob Cope of Remember recommendations for the future: the need to be agile in adapting A Charity pointing out that nothing is certain in an ever-changing to changing circumstances, the importance of will writing support world. He writes: “Above all, this year has shown how quickly and the overarching need to act quickly to exploit the ‘window’ of the world can change. Charities are in the impossible position of opportunity currently opening. q having to plan for the unplannable, to ensure resilience in the most difficult of times. For fundraisers, this will likely mean the need for • Strengthening Charities' Resilience with Legacies can be continued innovation, a longer-term outlook and even greater need downloaded free from www.legacyforesight.co.uk for legacies.”

The major lesson drawn, however, is that legacies have been instrumental in averting what could have been a catastrophic year for charities, potentially leaving them with a weakened income stream in a year when their services were called on as never before.

That sentiment was summed up by Jayne George, director of fundraising, marketing and media at the RNLI, who wrote: LEGACY FORESIGHT has launched a new research programme – Legacy “Legacies really did enable us to weather Fundraising 2.0 – with 30 leading legacy charities taking part in the unique learning circle. the storm. Because we knew roughly Legacy Fundraising 2.0 sets out to assess how best to use digital and social media to what legacy income is coming our way raise awareness, acquire new legacy donors and steward existing supporters. The research and because that income is such a large will explore a number of themes, starting out with looking at the current strategy and part of our funding base, we felt confident activities undertaken by the learning circle charities, doing some fundamental research into that – even if legacy values dipped a little online donor behaviour, and outlining priorities for the future.

– the money would still make it through.

Digital legacy fundraising presents many opportunities – and challenges – for all charities, That pipeline has kept us going. It meant especially now. q that we could plan. It gave us the ability to manage cashflow and some certainty at a • To find out more about the new research programme visit www.legacyforesight.co.uk time of uncertainty.”

The report concludes with a number of

New research looks at digital fundraising [

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Charity bodies welcome movement on probate backlog [

ON 12 NOVEMBER the Institute of Legacy Management (ILM) and Remember A Charity issued a joint response to the statement from HMCTS the previous day setting out its plans to resolve the delay and backlog of wills passing through probate.

The legacy bodies welcomed the actions outlined by HMCTS and are collaborating with them to continue to monitor the probate situation and keep the charity sector updated.

During the pandemic, the statement said, rising death rates, an increase in incomplete grant applications and challenges to the usual working practices have all put added pressure on the probate system – which had already been struggling due to a surge in applications in spring 2019, as well as the introduction of a new case management system. The pressures have created a bottleneck in terms of legacy notifications and funds. That has had a significant impact on UK charities, many of which rely on gifts in wills for over 30% of their annual voluntary income.

In the statement, HMCTS said: “We regularly meet with representative bodies for probate professionals and with the Institute of Legacy Management and Remember A Charity on behalf of the charity sector, to share updates, listen to feedback and work together on improving the probate service.

“An issue which has been discussed regularly is the overall volume of grants of probate which have been issued and the knock-on impact this has on the charity sector in terms of funding bequeathed from estates and your ability to forecast income from these estates. We have produced this statement, in consultation with the representative bodies, to help provide some clarity for the charity sector in this area.”

Outlining the background to the current situation, HMCTS continued: “We started 2020 having put the operational struggles of 2019 behind us: the new case management system had bedded in and our new staff were dealing effectively with digital cases at the Court and Tribunals Service Centre. Waiting times were getting back to near normal levels and our outputs were back to 2018 levels,

having issued 44,113 grants in January and February.

“Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic then struck, impacting output in March. Nonetheless, we ended Q1 2020 having issued 61,751 grants which was about 2,500 less than we would normally expect based on application volumes. This meant that we ended March with approximately 24,000 additional grants that we would expect to issue in coming months – including those with ‘stops’.”

In their response, ILM and Remember A Charity point to 29,000 estates currently held in the system, adding: “HMCTS announces that several measures have been put in place to address the backlog and minimise future delays. This includes taking on and training more staff, reducing the waiting time on digital applications and trialling a new digital notifications solution with Smee & Ford. Regular progress data on applications and grants will be published on a monthly basis via the HMCTS website.”

ILM CEO Matthew Lagden commented: “It has been a priority for ILM and Remember A Charity to work closely with HMCTS to keep our members informed, looking at the ways in which we can track and help to resolve delays, particularly during such a challenging year.

We are delighted to see that HMCTS has expanded its probate team to help increase capacity, and that Smee & Ford’s digital service is speeding up the current process of notifications. These steps give us confidence that HMCTS has the capacity in place to deal with the backlog and the expected rise in applications through the winter.”

Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, added: “Charitable income has been heavily hampered by the pandemic this year, making legacies all the more important in enabling charities to keep their frontline services going. HMCTS recognises how much the sector relies on gifts in wills and we are hugely grateful for their continued commitment to work with us to resolve the backlog. This commitment not only helps charities to forecast future income, but to plan their vital services going forward.” q

It has been a priority for ILM and Remember A Charity to work closely with HMCTS to keep our members informed, looking at the ways in which we can track and help to resolve delays, particularly during such a challenging year.

Saving lives one sniff at a time [

HYPO HOUNDS provide a viable health care alternative for children and their families by using their family pet – training their best friend to detect the subtle changes in the child’s blood sugar levels.

The dogs are trained to alert sleeping parents when the child’s sugar levels drop dangerously low or rise too high. This not only impacts on the child but also on the family’s ability to function as a unit, with the registered carer becoming the dog.

Hypo Hounds work is becoming nationally recognised and is literally saving the lives of children – one sniff at a time. q

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Securing a future for endangered wildlife

[ AS A CONSERVATION CHARITY, the role of Marwell Wildlife

is to give a helping hand to the many species with populations that have become so small that they would otherwise face an uncertain future.

You can see some of the world’s rarest species of all shapes and sizes at their zoo. From Partula snails and scimitar-horned oryx, to Somali wild ass and Amur leopards – all are part of international efforts to prevent extinction.

The charity relies heavily on legacies to support their work.

Leaving a gift in your will to Marwell Wildlife is one of the best ways in which you can help them secure a better future for endangered wildlife and habitats for generations to come. q • Visit www.marwell.org.uk/legacy or call 01962 777988.

Giving sighthounds a second chance [FOREVER HOUNDS TRUST has been rescuing, caring for and

homing greyhounds, lurchers and other sighthounds for 25 years.

These beautiful dogs find themselves in the charity’s care for many reasons, but they have one thing in common – they are in desperate need of help to find them a safe and happy home, having been neglected, abused, or finished their career as a racing greyhound.

Forever Hounds Trust are proud to have homed over 10,000 of these marvellous dogs and they rely entirely on supporters, donations, trusts and, vitally, legacies to cover the substantial costs of every dog’s journey from rescue to loving family pet.

The charity’s Susan Kerry Bedell says: “The demand for us to take in dogs continues to grow. By leaving a gift to Forever Hounds Trust in your Will, you are allowing us to rescue, treat and give more dogs a safe future.

“Legacies provide shelter for dogs in our kennels and foster homes. Legacies provide emergency medical care and preventative treatments. Legacies keep our vans on the road to rescue dogs from desperate situations.”

By remembering Forever Hounds Trust in your will, you are helping give more dogs a second chance at a happy life. q • For more information visit the website at www.foreverhoundstrust.org, telephone 03000 125 125 or email legacy@foreverhoundstrust.org

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Govt takes step towards mandatory online probate for professionals [THE GOVERNMENT has published its

response to the consultation on proposals for probate applications from professional users being mandated to the online process.

According to the MoJ statement: “Responses showed that the online process is widely supported in principle, but reservations were raised on making it mandatory for all professional applications at this stage.”

The consultation invited comments from specialist probate practitioners on the government’s proposals for mandating online solicitor and other practitioner applications for grants of probate or letters of administration.

The report containing the government’s response summarises the responses, including how the consultation process influenced the final shape and further development of the policy and proposal consulted upon.

In its introduction to the response, the MoJ says: “The government believes that the time has come for the vast majority of grants of probate (where there is a will) to be mandated to the online process when the application is from professional users. There will be some exceptions to this for highly specialist applications.

“However, the government notes the professions’ reservations and the constructive

spirit in which an incremental process has been advocated. As a result, grants of letters of administration will not be mandated at this stage, although such applications can continue to be made online apart from identified exemptions.”

The government has decided to ask the

President of the Family Division to amend the Non-Contentious Probate Rules to mandate the use of the online probate services by professional users for grants of probate – with a number of exceptions for particular, specialist applications – but not for grants of administration. q

Guidance issued to lawyers on video-witnessing

[THE Law Society of England and Wales has issued guidance on the video-witnessing of wills.

Aimed at all solicitors who advise clients on making a will, and those obtaining probate or administering estates, the guidance explains the temporary amendment to the Wills Act 1837 to allow two people to witness a will via live video. The change was made in July and made retrospective to last January. It is expected to remain in force until 31 January 2022.

The guidance stresses that the change does not allow the will to be witnessed via a recording of the testator signing the will. The witnessing must still be done in ‘real time’.

Explaining the background to the change, the Law Society says: “The lockdown introduced significant challenges regarding how wills could be safely witnessed while following government guidelines on social distancing.

“Our preferred approach to addressing these difficulties is that judges should have dispensing powers to recognise the deceased’s intentions where strict formalities for making a valid will have not been followed. This would have required primary legislation, however, time for which is currently limited, and so the government has decided to allow temporary remote witnessing in the shorter term.” q

Heartbeat horses on the move

[IN 2019, following the retirement of managing trustee Colin

Cooper, some of the Heartbeat horses moved to a new home at Sink Farm in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Colin was very pleased to announce that the charity’s headquarters had moved to Hollesley where the current horses will live and be cared for alongside the wonderful Suffolk Punch horses.

Sink Farm is the colony stud for the Suffolk Punch Trust charity, who continue their important and essential work in preserving this unique breed. q • For more information on either charity please contact Tracey Pettitt, stud manager or David Clarke, finance director, on 01394 775495.

Heartbeat Homes for Horses, Sink Farm, St David’s Lane, Hollesley, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3JR

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Going ‘Online’ helps disability charity to help more children [

FOR OVER 38 YEARS Brainwave to others, such as care workers and has been delivering essential therapies teaching assistants. to children with disabilities. Recently “We also provide families with the charity has developed a virtual specialist equipment and resources therapy service – Brainwave Online. required to carry out the programme, Brainwave’s multidisciplinary team such as speech and language aids consists of qualified physiotherapists, or physiotherapy equipment.” speech and language therapists, Brainwave has been adaptive and occupational therapists and learning flexible this year by developing a development support workers. Its virtual therapy service, Brainwave therapy programmes are based on the Online, to ensure they could continue principle of neuroplasticity: helping the supporting families following a brain find new pathways in the neural therapy programme from home. With network by providing regular repetition detailed planning, they delivered of newly-acquired skills. a virtual service that mirrored their The results can be life changing: face-to-face reassessments with the children who could barely move same high standard of support. They now walk; those who couldn’t researched and invested in a secure, make a sound now giggle; and low NHS-approved, medical consultation attainment at school is now greatly platform to protect children and improved. families online.

Hannah is mum to three-year-old The charity is continuing to offer its Eliza, who has a rare chromosome Brainwave Online service alongside disorder and is following a their face-to-face assessments, with Brainwave therapy programme. many families opting for a mixture of When talking about Eliza’s both face-to-face and virtual therapy. progress, Hannah said: “The Brainwave’s chief executive Keith Brainwave Online with Artiman, mum Sarah and dad Reza programme was clear and easy for Sinclair acknowledged that 2020 had us to follow – we shared it with her been an extremely challenging year nursery and they were able to incorporate the activities into her day. for everyone, but added that he is “so proud that we have been “Since our last visit Eliza is making great progress: she is taking able to adapt and develop an incredible new service option for our a few steps holding one hand, progressing amazingly with the families, with Brainwave Online”. walker and can finally climb off the He said: “We take a ‘whole family’ sofa backwards and not head-first! approach and our family facilitators She can also point to her head, nose have also been pivotal in achieving and ears, and loves to interact with this, often providing a lifeline to a speaker button while reading a families during the difficult lockdown simple story. period.”

“We are hugely thankful to Brainwave supports children Brainwave. Please keep doing what with various conditions – including you do – it makes a huge difference children with no official diagnosis – to all those extra special children and can assist families in accessing like Eliza.” their services through a meansDawn Chance, Brainwave’s lead tested Priority Fund. specialist paediatric physiotherapist, Brainwave is an independent stressed that no two children and no charity that complements the NHS. two families are the same.

However, it does not receive any “We pride ourselves on fitting our statutory funding and therefore relies therapy programmes around the on voluntary donations to run the needs of the child, and also around service. family life. We take the time to Having considered your explain the programme to families, commitments to family and friends, and this enables them to deliver the a charitable bequest in your will is therapy to their child – at home, with an inspiring way to leave a lasting confidence. legacy. Leaving a gift in a will is “We film video clips demonstrating a painless way of donating and each activity and exercise for the Brainwave will always be grateful for families to take home and refer to any gift that can help deliver their when they carry out the programme therapy programmes to children with or when they want to demonstrate Carmela and Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist Dawn disabilities and additional needs. q

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Charity campaigns against environmental abuse [

INVESTIGATING AND CAMPAIGNING against environmental crime and abuse is the 35-year struggle of charity Environmental Investigation Agency UK. Its undercover investigations expose transnational wildlife crime – with a focus on elephants, pangolins and tigers – and forest crimes such as illegal logging and deforestation for cash crops such as palm oil. The charity works to safeguard global marine ecosystems by addressing the threats posed by plastic pollution, by catch and commercial exploitation of whales, dolphins and porpoises.

More generally, they help to reduce the impact of climate change by campaigning to eliminate powerful refrigerant greenhouse gases, exposing related illicit trade and improving energy efficiency in the coolant sector.

The findings of their investigations are used in hard-hitting reports to campaign for improved governance and more effective law enforcement – such as its latest Running Out of Time report, which examines the fast-growing role of Vietnam as a hub for illegal wildlife trade and the country's failure to respond to the crisis.

Their field experience is used to provide guidance to enforcement agencies and they form partnerships with local groups and activists to support their work through hands-on training.

The scale of the problems they face can be disheartening and the truths they uncover can be shocking. Their programmes of work build on decades of nail-biting undercover investigations by a small group of tenacious activists. From documenting the slaughter of pilot whales

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in the Faroe Islands, to securing a global ivory trade ban at CITES, the Montreal Protocol on climate change and the adoption of the EU Timber Regulation to protect forests.

A gift to EIA in your will is an investment in wildlife and habitat conservation. They have already achieved so much, with your help they will continue to keep the pressure on for generations to come. q • For further information tel 0207 354 7960 or visit the website at eia-international.org

Excellence in Legacy Administration conference goes online [

THIS YEAR’S third annual meeting for legacy administration professionals from Wilmington Charities and Smee & Ford – Excellence in Legacy Administration 2020 – took the form of a digital conference.

The organisers described the unusual circumstances thus: “In a year like no other, the current health and economic crises have highlighted the vital importance of legacy income for charities. Legacy professionals have had to adapt to significant changes in their working practices and day to day processes, requiring them to be agile and adaptable to fluctuating workloads.

“But how can legacy teams stay on the front foot and accurately forecast legacy income moving forward?”

That question was answered when the conference expanded the scope of its themes to look at: how legacy admin professionals can predict legacy income in the time of COVID-19, successful business strategy and stakeholder management during a pandemic, best practice for modernising legacy administration and much more.

A ticket to Excellence in Legacy Administration 2020 also gave exclusive access to a range of ondemand materials, including pre-recorded case studies, interviews and how-to guides to reference on-demand.

The Excellence in Legacy Administration conference provided the opportunity to gain insights into the new day-to-day challenges affecting the legacy administration sector. This year the event looked at the new ‘normal’ for legacy administration professionals. Sessions included: • Legacy income forecasting in the time of COVID-19 – how to predict your legacy income • Great expectations – successful business strategy and stakeholder management during a pandemic • Modernising legacy administration – techniques, best practice and communication Speakers included Karen Frampton, fundraising manager at YHA (top), Adam West, legacy and in-memory manager at the MS Society (middle) and Ben Eden Davies, assistant head at St Mungo’s (bottom).

Organisers are hopeful that next year’s event will be a physical meeting, enabling delegates to meet up and network in person. q

Sending out an SOS for the owls [

ESTABLISHED IN 2001, the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary – known, appropriately, as S.O.S. – operates a comprehensive facility for the rescue, care and rehabilitation of owls across East Anglia.

It also promotes the need for the conservation of endangered owl species throughout the UK and beyond with its Saving Britain's Owls initiative.

The S.O.S. owl and raptor hospital at Stonham Aspal is unique in the region. It is specially equipped for the care and treatment of the many injured wild owls and other birds of prey that are brought there every year. The reasons for their being there include road traffic accidents, mishap, starvation, trauma, disease, poisoning and sometimes even shooting or trapping.

Many of the birds can be given a recuperative, short-term pick-me-up before being re-released into the wild. Those that are more seriously injured but stand a chance of recovery are given medical aid and/or surgery, as determined by their vet. The birds are then allowed space and time to fully recuperate in one of the secluded recovery aviaries, before being carefully returned to the wild.

S.O.S. also operates a wild owl nest box scheme, in conjunction with volunteers from the Thornham Owl Project. That includes building and locating long-lasting, environmentally-friendly nest boxes in appropriate locations, to replace the gradual erosion of natural nesting sites. It also involves the careful monitoring of nesting activity within the scheme, for the annual reporting of raptor population information to regulatory authorities.

S.O.S. is funded purely by donation, and like many small charities faces an on-going, uphill struggle as they strive to survive. q

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Online summit addresses legacy issues of tomorrow [

THE ANNUAL Legacy Strategy Summit, organised by Wilmington Charities, was a very different affair this year. It is usually held in London during the summer, but in common with just about every conference, for the first time it was held completely online, on 11 November.

Wilmington Charities described the event thus: “With clearly a lot to discuss this year, the event was very much welcomed by the legacy fundraising community – with over 500 delegates from across the globe signing up for the full-day online event. The conference was made up of 10 live and six on-demand sessions.” Here, they sum up those key sessions.

Legacy data and trends

The day began with an in-depth look at the data and trends in legacy giving, with insights and research from Smee & Ford, Radcliffe Consulting and Farewill. This session also considered the external factors shaping people’s legacy planning, and how online wills have taken centre stage during the spring 2020 lockdown.

Mark Pincher from Smee & Ford showed that total legacy income for the top 3,000 charities rose significantly from £0.7bn in the late 90s to £2.7bn now. He said: “The potential for legacy giving is very positive, and on an upward trend. It’s a great time for legacy fundraising.”

Building a legacy strategy

We asked representatives from several charities to reveal how they have established and strengthened legacy fundraising strategies within their organisation – and how they had got their plans up and running, even with very modest budgets.

Growing a legacy strategy

We looked at how virtual events have suddenly come into their own, with a large percentage of charities moving into online events for the first time. With many legacy pledgers and supporters in the older age groups, we discussed how virtual events can reach these audiences when face to face meetings are not possible.

Clare Sweeney of St Ann’s Hospice said: “We’re at a microwave moment – a crisis has created an opportunity – and virtual events have provided an opportunity keep our audiences warm. Move with

times – be like Netflix, not like Blockbuster!”

International inspiration

In a new stream for LSS, we spoke with legacy professionals from The Netherlands, the USA and Canada, and compared their approaches to legacy fundraising with the methods in the UK. We assembled a panel of academic organisations from the UK and USA to look at how charities can make the most of an international database of alumni supporters. Dee Brecker and Viet-Anh Hua from the London School of Economics and Carolyn Jones, from Liverpool University, revealed how UK institutions were approaching their alumni by using anecdotes and storytelling – giving an insight into how previous legacies had helped their students.

How to be big in legacy fundraising

This session featured a comparison of major cancer research charities and looked at their similar approaches to filling the fundraising shortfall caused by the crisis of 2020, as well as their different approaches to stewardship.

What’s your charity’s ‘lockdown legacy’? Staying relevant to old and new donors

Sanita Guddu, legacy and in-memory fundraising manager at the Royal Voluntary Service, and Tara Bean, head of supporter engagement at St Gemma’s Hospice, spoke on how their charities were going the extra mile since the first lockdown and had very much faced the frontline of the crisis over the past nine months. The Royal Voluntary Service had managed 250,000 volunteers and launched a Virtual Village Hall service. St Gemma’s Hospice was finding that their remembrance services could be accessed from home, as a shared experience between the relatives of those that had died.

Staying positive – towards a pot of gold the end of the rainbow In the final panel session, speakers from the Royal Opera House, Awards for Young Musicians and the V&A spoke of how the cultural sector had been dealing with COVID-19 and the severe social restrictions that had separated them from their audiences, visitors and donors. q

Caring for chelonia [THE BRITISH CHELONIA GROUP publishes six newsletters

a year containing details of meetings, short articles, news items and veterinary notes. Their journal Testudo is published annually and contains original articles and reviews on all aspects of turtles, terrapins and tortoises – their biology, conservation, welfare, veterinary care and husbandry. The group also organises symposia.

As well as the yearly appeals in aid of specific international causes in chelonia research and survival, the BCG assists other worthy causes in support of its aims with grants. They invite grant applications from organisations and individuals engaged on the work of chelonia conservation – such as zoos, universities, zoologists and students in this country and overseas. q

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Cancer charity encourages a healthy lifestyle

[

EVERY DAY in the UK around 1,100 people will hear the words: “You have cancer”. Over 400 of those people could have avoided the life-changing diagnosis if they’d had access to the right information and made simple everyday changes to their diet, weight and physical activity. Those working at World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) are passionate about sharing what they know, so that fewer people get preventable cancers and those with a diagnosis can live healthier, longer lives during and after treatment.

Working with renowned cancer prevention experts from around the world, WCRF have developed the world’s largest database of scientific research on cancer prevention and survival in relation to diet, weight and physical activity. Their innovative approach allows them to offer comprehensive cancer prevention advice that is up to date and relevant to all stages of a person’s life – empowering more people to reduce their cancer risk and help them fight back after diagnosis. They do that through their health education and advice programmes, practical tools and easy-tounderstand information and their work with health professionals.

However, they still have so much more to do. Their prevention work is even more urgent following the latest official predictions, suggesting that the annual number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by 58%

globally by 2040. Yet WCRF’s research shows that around 147,000 cancer cases every year in the UK alone could be prevented through simple healthy lifestyle choices.

Sarah Rebus of WCRF said: “Including a gift in your will to World Cancer Research Fund – once you’ve provided for those you love – could be your special way of making a memorable contribution to cancer prevention and survival in the years ahead, giving your family and loved ones the best chance of living healthier, cancer-free lives.

“With your help we can ensure that far fewer people suffer or die unnecessarily from cancers that could have been avoided. We receive no government funding and so our critical research and on-going cancer prevention work is only possible through the generosity of people like you, especially from gifts in wills.” q • To learn more about WCRF’s cancer prevention recommendations, visit www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/cancer-prevention-recommendations.

To take their cancer health check, visit www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/cancer-healthcheck – or to see if you have a healthy BMI and to learn how being a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer, visit www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/here-help/health-tools/bmi-calculator.

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Aiming to bridge the gap for those with clefts [CLEFT is a charity focused on providing permanent, sustainable

ways to improve cleft care both in the UK and overseas. Its tagline ‘Bridging the Gap’ illustrates the three aims of physical joining, improving information and linking care across countries.

A cleft is a congenital birth defect which happens in the womb when the component parts of the upper lip and the palate fail to join properly.

There may be a cleft just of the lip, just of the palate, or both. They can be one-sided (unilateral) or double-sided (bilateral).

It is known that one in 700 babies in the UK are born with a cleft. The figure is higher in Asia – particularly so in people from the Far East. It is estimated that 250,000 babies throughout the world are born each year with a cleft.

A core principle of CLEFT is to invest in research projects that study the cause and treatment of clefts. When it comes to clefts, there is still so much that is unknown.

The progression of knowledge and understanding of clefts is therefore a key component in improving the methods used by surgeons, speech therapists and other medical professionals, to treat and provide quality, long-term care for all those born with clefts, both in the UK and overseas.

All donations and gifts in wills help to further that research. q

Trust works to save iconic working horses [

THE SUFFOLK PUNCH TRUST is a registered charity, whose aim is to ensure the survival of the famous horse breed. It was founded in 2002 to save the historic Hollesley Bay Colony Stud.

That stud brought a rich legacy of equine and agricultural history which deserves to be saved for future generations to enjoy. The trust aims to achieve that through a successful breeding programme, supported by funding, education and the outreach facility of its visitor centre.

The Suffolk Punch is the oldest English breed of working horse, dating from the 16th century. Every Suffolk horse can be traced back to a stallion, known as Crisp’s Horse of Ufford, foaled in 1768. The Suffolk horse was developed for farm work and gained popularity during the early 20th century. As agriculture became mechanised, however, the numbers fell and the breed almost disappeared completely.

The aim of the trust is to help save the iconic breed from extinction through its established breeding programme. It is working towards increasing the numbers of horses through normal breeding processes and an artificial insemination programme.

It also works to raise public awareness and is training a new generation of professionals to work with and understand the needs of the breed. The Suffolk Punch is incredibly versatile and is now often employed in forestry and ridden work.

The Suffolk Punch Trust can only continue its work with the help of donations and legacies. As David Clarke, one of the trust’s directors, explained: “Your legacy, large or small, will make a huge difference to the work we carry out, enabling us to care for our horses and continue the breeding programme to secure this wonderful breed.” q

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Anti-fraud body warns charities of increasing risk [ THE FRAUD ADVISORY PANEL has warned charities that they

are currently at a high risk of fraud and should take steps to protect themselves. The warning from the independent anti-fraud body came during International Charity Fraud Awareness Week in October.

With the economy under strain, the opportunities and motives for fraud are likely to rise, the panel said. Charities may be vulnerable to fraudsters attempting to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic because staff and volunteers are less likely to have had fraud training.

A study carried out by the Charity Commission in partnership with the Fraud Advisory Panel last year found that less than a tenth of charities had a fraud awareness training programme.

International Charity Fraud Awareness DURING International Charity Fraud Awareness Week the Charity Commission revealed Week brought together charities and notthat charities have reported being victims of fraud or cybercrime 645 times since the start of for-profit organisations to share good the pandemic in March – amounting to £3.6m in total losses. However, the true scale of fraud practice in tackling fraud and cybercrime. against charities is believed to be much higher, as fraud is known to be underreported.

The week was led by an international The regulator expressed concerned that remote working, together with virtual activities coalition of charities, regulators and and sign-off processes – combined with charities’ tendencies to place goodwill and trust in representative bodies, including the Fraud individuals – may make them especially vulnerable. It said that charities providing services Advisory Panel, the Charity Commission and supporting local communities could be among those at risk after earlier reports of for England and Wales and ICAEW – the criminals using PPE as a lure in scams. professional body representing chartered Analysis of frauds reported to the commission found that in some cases fraudsters accountants in England and Wales. preyed on people’s fear and anxieties. In one case the regulator saw a fraudster using David Clarke, chairman of the Fraud a beneficiary’s story of personal struggle during the pandemic to pressure a charity into Advisory Panel, said: “Fraudsters want making a payment quickly. to exploit weaknesses exposed by the The regulator also considers that economic hardship may have increased perpetrators’ pandemic, so we recommend all charities temptation to commit fraud, particularly in cases of insider fraud. It has seen cases of are aware of common fraud risks, take time charity employees diverting funds into their personal bank accounts and even selling charity to check what they are being asked to do, equipment for personal gain. and keep their organisations safe.

Helen Stephenson CBE, chief executive of the Charity Commission, commented: “We are “Now is a good time for charities to seeing evidence that opportunists may be taking advantage of charities during the pandemic revisit and review controls that may and I urge all charities to be extra vigilant against fraud. have been introduced as part of their “This comes at a time when charities are a lifeline for many people suffering from crisis management response at the start COVID-19, and the wider impacts of the pandemic. Charities have been at the forefront of of the pandemic to see if they need responding to the crisis and many have also been placed under severe financial strain. strengthening.

“As our country faces another challenging point in the crisis, we cannot afford for charitable “Everyone involved in a charity, from the work to be disrupted by criminals. When fraud hits charities, its impact is felt far beyond the most senior to the most junior employees, balance sheet – it is people that are let down, often hard-working volunteers or people in should be given the skills to recognise the desperate need. That’s why I’m urging all trustees to take action now, to protect their charity’s tell-tale signs of fraud, and know what to valuable funds and assets.” q do if they have concerns.” q

Commission outlines scale of fraud problem [

Supporting the maritime community [

SEAFARERS UK is a charity that has been providing vital support to the men and women who work at sea and are in need, and to those in maritime education or training, for over 100 years.

The charity does this by giving grants to organisations and projects that make a real difference to people’s lives. Seafarers UK receives no government funding and is heavily dependent on public donations and legacies. Last year Seafarers UK was able to give £2.2m in funding to over 50 maritime welfare and youth charities. q • To support Seafarers UK or to find out more about their work, visit the website at www.seafarers.uk or email seafarers@seafarers.uk

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Bates, the dog rescued from the awful trade

How Bates was rescued from the dog-meat trade [

DOGS AND CATS are being cruelly stolen and brutally killed for the meat trade.

That’s the startling revelation by animal welfare charity FOUR PAWS. According to the charity, each year millions of dogs and cats like the ones pictured will be stolen, killed and eaten in South East Asia. Drowned, electrocuted or beaten to death, the cruelty they will suffer is near unimaginable. Often, they are strays snatched from the streets, or family pets stolen from loving homes.

One such dog – they called him Bates – was desperate to escape his cruel fate at a slaughter farm.

FOUR PAWS found Bates on a rescue mission in Cambodia. He was packed in a cage crammed full with other dogs. The crying and whimpering from those dogs, many of them beloved pets, was truly heart-breaking.

In desperation, dogs reached out their paw

Dogs awaiting slaughter

through the cage bars for help. The charity felt it could not turn away.

FOUR PAWS was able to rescue Bates and he has now been adopted into a loving family with the chance of a new beginning.

Sad and emotionally shut down at first, it took time for Bates to recover. He is now learning to trust people again and is happy and energetic. His days are spent playing and enjoying long walks.

Stopping the trade for good

FOUR PAWS is working to save more dogs and cats from this torture and end the trade for good. Since the rescue of Bates, many more dogs and cats have been saved and rehomed, slaughter farms have been closed down together with ground-breaking campaigns which aim to strengthen animal protection laws.

Protecting animals in the future

Founded in Vienna in 1988, the FOUR PAWS vision is of a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. Its mission is to act as a strong, global and independent voice for animals under direct human control.

Gifts in wills have a huge impact on the work FOUR PAWS does, enabling them to continue rescuing and caring for animals.

That is why they have partnered with willwriting service Bequeathed, who offer a completely free online will-writing service. It’s something anyone can do from the comfort of their own home without it costing them a penny. q • To find out more about Bequeathed and gifts in wills call Joanne Royston on 020 7922 7954 or email joanne.royston@four-paws.org.uk.

Strays are often rounded up and killed for cat meat

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If you Will, we will [LEGACIES MEAN SO much to the team at Last Chance

Animal Rescue. These wonderful gifts have helped them to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home so many abandoned, abused and unwanted dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits and guinea pigs who otherwise would have had no future.

The charity understand the wishes of its kind benefactors who have considered them in their Wills. A spokesperson said: “We know they want their generous gift to us to be used directly to save lives, provide the very best of care and to find loving homes.

“Legacies really do provide the gift of life and Last Chance Animal Rescue can now, after much planning and prudent use of funds, offer our life saving services to so many more needy pets. We are delighted to announce we now have a second rescue and re-homing centre in Kent, giving hope and a true A new friend for Alan last chance to so many.

“Sadly we cannot thank those who have enabled this wonderful achievement but are extremely grateful to all those who are currently considering helping us now and in the future to continue our work.” q

Helping the forgotten people of Zimbabwe [

ZANE: ZIMBABWE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY is a UK registered charity working to help the most destitute, vulnerable and impoverished people in Zimbabwe. It is the largest supplier of financial aid to elderly people in Zimbabwe who lost their life savings and pensions in the economic collapse and subsequent hyper-inflation.

This includes over 600 frail veterans and their widows who fought for the Crown. ZANE assists with rent, medical bills and food – and, crucially, also provides comfort, advice and support.

In addition, ZANE funds a clubfoot correction programme, successfully treating over 3,900 children to date. It funds the provision of prosthetic limbs for victims of landmine explosions and assists people with hearing loss. ZANE also funds education programmes including the provision of pop-up classrooms in highdensity townships for children who would otherwise not receive an education. It runs creative therapy workshops for women living in extreme poverty who are victims of political violence and trauma.

Zimbabwe remains in a state of crisis. The economy teeters on the brink of collapse. Fuel shortages are commonplace and with food prices escalating, ZANE’s aid is needed more than ever by the most destitute people in Zimbabwe. q • To find out more about the work of ZANE visit www.zane.uk.com

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Donations are just a text message away [CHARITIES HAVE BEEN quick to adapt to the mobile

world of today to enable donors to give by SMS. Ahead of Giving Tuesday on 1 December, a number of platforms for text giving had plenty of advice for charities on accessing that massive potential.

The DONATE platform pointed to the Ruth Strauss Foundation’s Red For Ruth campaign, which raised £289,523 through text giving alone in July.

DONATE offered some top tips on ‘how to make the most out of text giving to maximise income generation’. They were: Choose a memorable keyword. Choose one that is short, memorable, relates to your cause and does not have homophones – words that can have more than one spelling with the same sound. If possible, DONATE adds, also avoid acronyms and numbers.

Plan. Ensure you are prepared in the way you are delivering the keyword to give your audience enough time to donate. Support any verbal communication with printed communication.

Be clear. When talking about the charity and ways to donate, be as clear and visible to supporters as possible with information on how to support the fundraiser and who it will help to support.

They pointed to the example of the My BLACKBAUD EUROPE – the leading providers of cloud software for social good – have Name’5 Doddie Foundation. When it asked launched a new e-book examining the impact of COVID-19 on the UK charity sector and for text donations at a rugby stadium, offering advice for the future. Fundraising Focus: Looking Beyond COVID-19 is a free online Doddie Weir walked to the centre of the resource sharing a collection of expert advice that is designed to help charities create a pitch – £25,000 was donated. focused, and highly successful, long-term fundraising strategy.

Gift Aid and repeat giving. With text Reviewing the publication on the Charity Digital website, Aidan Paterson wrote: “The giving platforms like DONATE donors can e-book is divided into five chapters, with each one sharing a unique perspective from a add Gift Aid to their donations – boosting different sector expert on what they believe the key priorities are in the year(s) ahead for the donation value – and convert their non-profit organisations. They include commentators from the Institute of Fundraising, Zoe donation into a regular monthly donation.

Amar Digital, WWF-UK and Blackbaud, with topics spanning from building an inclusive For charities this can be a lifeline, culture and essential leadership skills, to breaking down the barriers between offline and especially during lockdown where many online fundraising. donors want to continue to support their “Blackbaud had previously shared within their Status of UK Fundraising 2020 report that local charity and for those who would over half of non-profits anticipated that the impact of COVID-19 would last at least a year.” ordinarily be making donations at places of Sally Falvey, head of corporate marketing at Blackbaud Europe, said: “When you look worship. back at the last eight months, it’s remarkable and inspiring to see the undeniable passion Thank, thank, thank. Whether it’s a and innovation that charities have applied to adapt their fundraising during the pandemic and fundraising event or an on-going fundraiser, each lockdown. The advice shared by the experts in our e-book will help charities to not only audiences are boosted by thank you apply that same determination and creativity to their longer-term strategy, but to also identify messages and updates on how much areas of their existing fundraising which, with some extra attention, could be instrumental in has been raised so far. Text giving also generating success that long outlasts the pandemic.” grants access to live totalisers due to the To download a free copy of the e-book go to hub.blackbaud.co.uk. q immediacy of the platform. q

New e-book offers advice on a post-COVID strategy [

Re-homing is their mission [

THE MISSION of Three Counties Dog Rescue is to accept, care for and find homes for unwanted, lost and stray dogs and cats and to ensure their wellbeing afterwards. The charity was founded in 1972 and since then they have improved the lives of over 7,000 dogs and cats.

Before rehoming, all animals are vet checked, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and kept in suitable conditions. Rehabilitation costs are a major part of the charity’s annual expenditure of over £200,000.

Healthy animals are never put down. As part of that non-destruction policy, several elderly dogs are kept in long term foster care. However, this means that the charity can incur large veterinary costs to maintain a dog’s health while they await a new permanent home.

Every penny raised goes to improving the lives of dogs and cats.

Three Counties Dog Rescue is run entirely by voluntary and unpaid helpers, who also meet their own expenses. q

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Report finds preference service provides a useful service [THE FUNDRAISING REGULATOR has published an

independent evaluation of the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS), the service that allows members of the public to stop direct marketing communications from fundraising organisations registered in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The evaluation was conducted by an independent consultancy – Action Planning – using surveys with members of the public, interviews with a wide range of third sector stakeholders and a charity focus group.

According to the evaluation report, the principle of an independent fundraising preference service is an important part of the support structure that helps to maintain public trust and ultimately strengthen charity fundraising. Users of the FPS recognise its reliability and how it easily meets the performance demands place on it, with many commenting that the service gives them ‘peace of mind’.

Analysis of the FPS also found that 31% of total suppressions since the FPS was launched were made on behalf of someone else, and in some months it was over 50%. When examining areas for improvement the review raised important points around low awareness of FPS among the general public and lack of online visibility. Several charities also noted that they found the service more complex than it needed to be and were concerned about its cost effectiveness.

The report made several helpful recommendations for improving the FPS, including exploring ways to reduce the cost of the service by investigating less complex options and focusing on those in vulnerable circumstances, encouraging charities and others to promote the FPS to people in vulnerable circumstances and issuing guidance to charities about what to do if they receive a suppression request via FPS from someone who isn’t on their database.

Lord Toby Harris, chair of the Fundraising Regulator, said: “The launch of the Fundraising Preference Service was a key recommendation put forward in the cross-party review and we welcome this independent evaluation. It’s pleasing to see that the service remains a vital support service for the public, particularly for those who are more vulnerable and their relatives.

“The FPS was established three years ago, and we recognise that since then the demands and need for the service have altered. The recommendations outlined in the review provide a significant evidence base from which to make improvements and enhancements to the service.

“Our board has accepted all of the recommendations; some will require us to consult and work with the sector, while others are more straightforward to implement. We remain committed to regulating in the public’s interest, in order to protect the trust in fundraising that the sector has worked so hard to build.” q

This sanctuary helps donkeys from Britain, Europe and beyond [ESTABLISHED IN 1990, NEDDI offers care and safety to donkeys –

and to a lesser degree, ponies – in Britain and Europe who have suffered neglect, cruelty or maltreatment or who are at risk of such treatment.

In addition to rescuing such animals from undesirable situations, within the financial and practical constraints prevailing at the time, they work to try to change attitudes and to educate donkey owners into better practices. For example, since 2016 they have been assisting associates in Kenya to achieve those aims for the working animals there.

Since its establishment in Cornwall, NEDDI has operated a sanctuary specifically for distressed donkeys. In 2001 the sanctuary moved to just the other side of the channel, where the resident donkeys enjoy more space and pasture than would otherwise have been possible.

Its policy is to try to offer actual, hands-on help to the animals in need, and to restore them to the maximum possible degree of fitness.

Once brought back to full health, new homes are sometimes sought for the fit animals.

Where full health cannot be achieved a safe home is offered to the donkey for the duration of its life.

NEDDI is a comparatively small organisation with limited resources, and relies heavily on support from animal-lovers. A bequest will enable more donkeys to be freed from pain and misery. q

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The dream continues to offer sanctuary to abandoned animals [

THE YEAR IS 1983 and it is the coldest winter for 20 years. Many stories about horses and ponies being abandoned by their owners on Rainham Marshes in Essex were hitting the headlines.

Paula Clark, who was involved in raising money for a number of sanctuaries, was sitting at home in tears after reading the story of those poor horses. When her husband Ernie returned home from work, Paula showed him what was happening and they vowed to take action and help the animals that needed them.

Some of the horses were already dead and others were starving when the couple got to the marshes. They weren’t having their basic needs met; they had no water or food. Paula and Ernie took tanks of water to them and bales of hay and feed. They even got a vet to examine some of them. No-one was looking after the horses’ basic needs – let alone enriching their lives.

Paula and Ernie embarked on fulfilling their dream and the story of Hopefield Animal Sanctuary began. They began taking horses with the intention of fostering. They would bring them back to health and then find them nice homes.

The first horse they fostered out was Pye. Soon after they heard that the fosterers were trying to sell him, so Ernie took them to court at a cost of £4,000. Ernie finally got Pye back in a terrible state, so both Paula and Ernie promised they would never rehome again – the animals had a home for life.

As Paula and Ernie found fostering animals didn’t work out they decided to provide homes for life to their animals. One beneficiary is Juliette, a thoroughbred horse who arrived in a terrible condition.

Because of her home for life at Hopefield, and the daily care and attention she receives, she is now physically transformed.

Paula and Ernie have both now sadly passed away. Since their passing the work has been taken over by new trustees and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers look after the resident animals, old and new. Many animals arrive in a terrible condition and are completely transformed by living at the sanctuary.

The sanctuary has now been running for 35 years – it has over 50 regular volunteers, a huge amount of local and loyal support and over 20,000 followers on Facebook.

CEO Dave Schlaich explained: “We have continued to rescue horses and farm animals, but have found that over the years the type of animals we are having to help has greatly changed, with people getting more and more into exotic species through the pet trade.”

The sanctuary is now open the public from Friday to Monday each week. It has become a visitor attraction with a small tea room. All activities generate funds that go directly to the animals, making the future more secure.

Said David: “You can support us by becoming a regular donor, visit us, sponsor an animal or leave us a legacy in your will, knowing that your donation goes towards providing a home for life for one of our animals.” q

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Charity carries on the work of its founder [

FOR OVER 30 YEARS the famous animal hospital known as Tiggywinkles has been working to rescue, treat and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned British wildlife. Over that time they have proved beyond doubt that most wild animal and bird casualties can be saved and returned to the wild.

Although they specialise in hedgehogs – indeed, they derive their name from St Tiggywinkles, the name of their specialist hedgehog ward, inspired by the animal character created by Beatrix Potter – their wealth of expertise in the care of a wide range of species can now be passed on to others.

In addition, their commitment to practical education plays a vital part in the conservation of wildlife. As an accredited centre, opportunities are available for students aged 16 and over to gain a City and Guildsapproved qualification via their Apprenticeship in Animal Care scheme.

Tiggywinkles was founded by Les Stocker, who sadly passed away in July 2016. In a tribute, Les was described as ‘…a steadfast ambassador, achieving his goal to turn wildlife rehabilitation into a profession’. In another he was referred to as the ‘the spiritual heart of Britain’. He was awarded an MBE by The Queen and given the title Laureate in the 1990 International Rolex Awards for Enterprise, for his work in wildlife conservation and establishing Europe’s first wildlife teaching hospital. More recently, he gained the prestigious Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

The charity is happy to commemorate all who generously remember the Wildlife Hospital Trust in their will by inscribing their name on a plaque in its Remembrance Garden. Gifts are also welcome in the form of a donation or by becoming a Friend of Tiggywinkles. q

Legacies – the gift of life [

ANIMAL CHARITY Wild Futures rescues and offers sanctuary to monkeys who have suffered abuse and neglect. They are dedicated to protecting primates and their habitats worldwide – primates are endangered due to climate change, habitat destruction and the bush-meat and pet trades.

For some species, it is too late. The future of all that remains lies in our hands, so leaving a legacy to Wild Futures is the gift of life and a future for primates and our wonderful planet.

Wild Futures’ holistic approach makes them unique – providing sanctuary to rescued

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monkeys, supporting projects overseas, campaigning for primate welfare, educating to protect primates worldwide and promoting a sustainability and ethical ethos.

They receive no government funding, so the generosity of those that remember Wild Futures is essential to enable them to continue their work. A legacy can be the gift of a life worth living and a wild and safe future for all. q • For more information call 01503 262532, email giving@wildfutures.org or visit the webiste at www.wildfutures.org.

Tampon Tax benefits women and girls’ charities

Rescue centre offers a lifeline to injured wildlife

[

CHARITIES SUPPORTING disadvantaged women and girls through the coronavirus pandemic and recovery are to receive £15m from the latest round of the Tampon Tax Fund. Projects that help victims of domestic abuse, work with eating disorder sufferers and provide mentoring for disadvantaged young women are among those to receive grants of more than £1m each over the next two years.

The money will also be used to make grants to smaller organisations so they can deploy services that support vulnerable women and girls.

Minister for Civil Society, Baroness Barran MBE (pictured), said: “Vulnerable women and girls need our support more than ever in this difficult year, and these grants will help keep vital services going. From supporting victims of Photo: UK Parliament domestic abuse to those suffering from mental health problems, this funding will help to directly tackle some of the most serious issues facing women and girls today.”

This year’s recipients can also use part of their grant funding to improve the sustainability of their organisations, helping them continue their vital work into the future.

The deadline for applications was extended this year in light of the coronavirus outbreak, to ensure as many front-line charities as possible were able to apply.

The 12 projects receiving funding from this round of the Tampon Tax Fund are: • Women in Prison (£1,000,000) • Ovarian Cancer Action (£1,259,788) • Solace Women’s Aid (£1,614,288) • Rosa Fund (£1,906,855) • SafeLives (£1,488,534) • Comic Relief (£1,282,173) • The Medaille Trust (£1,000,714) • Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (£1,203,610) • London Youth (£1,000,000) • YMCA England and Wales (£1,000,861) • Beat (£1,074,032) • Rape Crisis Scotland (£1,019,144) The Tampon Tax Fund uses the funds generated from the VAT on women’s sanitary products, which the UK was obliged to levy under EU rules. While the UK was a member of the EU, VAT on those products could not fall below 5%. The Chancellor announced in March this year that the tax will end in January 2021, at the end of the transition period following the UK’s exit from the EU. This announcement builds on the government’s unprecedented £750m package of support, which is ensuring that tens of thousands of frontline charities can meet increased demand as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and continue their vital work supporting those in need. That funding comes on top of the £150m released from dormant accounts to help social enterprises get affordable credit to people who are financially vulnerable and to support charities tackling youth unemployment. q

[

HESSILHEAD WILDLIFE RESCUE TRUST is situated near Beith, in North Ayrshire. It was set up as a charity in 1986, although its founders Andy and Gay had been caring for injured and orphaned wildlife since 1970, when they rescued a fox cub from a gamekeeper and his dogs. As the number of casualties increased year on year, Andy and Gay needed financial and practical help.

Once the trust was set up, new aviaries and enclosures were built. A membership scheme proved popular and many volunteers were recruited. The centre now occupies a 20-acre site, including woodland, marsh and open water. That gives a variety of release sites for its patients.

Approximately 3,500 wildlife casualties are now treated each year, with the aim of returning them to the wild. Among the many hedgehogs, foxes and familiar garden birds there are deer, otters, badgers and seals. All have been rescued and are rehabilitated. In addition, swans are treated regularly, along with buzzards, peregrines, herons and sea birds.

The centre operates a 24-hour rescue service and there are more than 60 enclosures and aviaries, a hedgehog hospital, a seal/swan unit and intensive care facility. It also offers training courses on the handling, care and treatment of wildlife casualties.

Spring and summer are especially busy, with hundreds of nestling birds being hand reared. Care is taken to rear all youngsters with minimum human contact. That prevents wild birds and mammals becoming too used to people, so giving them a good chance of survival in the wild.

Hessilhead is primarily a voluntary organisation. Its volunteers help in many ways: fundraising, building and maintenance, driving patients to the centre and daily cleaning and feeding. q

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Surgeons’ winter appeal funds pioneering research to beat COVID-19 [THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC poses exceptional challenges

for patients and the surgical workforce and has raised many questions on surgical care and safety that need urgent answers.

In order to meet those challenges, the Royal College of Surgeons of England has launched the RCS COVID Research Group.

Through its trials network the RCS’s research department contacted all of the surgical specialties and pulled together over 50 new COVID projects in addition to their existing work streams.

This winter the RCS is asking people to support its response to the crisis: one that has affected every one of us. A gift towards those vital initiatives will improve understanding of this novel disease and provide better patient care.

Support for the appeal can enable such research. For example: • £5,100 would fund research for a novel aerosol extractor to • make surgery safer both during and after COVID-19.

• £10,000 could support two UK national studies to determine • the impact of the COVID pandemic upon patients with • pancreatic cancer.

The COVID-19 research group has projects spanning all surgical specialties. To learn about them visit the website at www.rcseng.ac.uk/coronavirus/rcs-covid-research-group/. q • To donate online visit www.rcseng.ac.uk/donate.

Research is key to a better life after brain injury

[

THE MISSION of Brain Research UK is to fund essential research to discover the causes, develop new treatments and improve the lives of those affected by neurological conditions.

The charity’s current research focus is on areas where there is a realistic chance of making a difference to neurological patients within the short to medium term. This is where the need for charitable funding is most urgent.

As a result they have three current research priorities – brain tumours, brain and spinal cord injury, and headache and facial pain.

Brain Research UK receives no government funding and so relies exclusively on voluntary donations. For further information please visit www.brainresearchuk.org.uk. q

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Charity shops’ body calls for government aid [MUCH MEDIA COMMENT during the first and subsequent

‘lockdowns’ have focused on the effect the measures have on the retail sector. Perhaps one of the more neglected parts of that sector is the country’s many charity shops.

It is that effect on the charity retail sector that prompted its representative body, the Charity Retail Association (CRA), to write to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Kemi Badenoch MP, urging an early re-opening of charity shops following the easing of COVID measures.

The letter refers to an article by the MP regarding a visit to a charity shop in her Saffron Walden constituency. The text has been made public. In it the CRA says: “The Charity Retail Association is the voice of charity retail with our 400 plus members operating around 80% of the UK’s charity shops. Charity shops raise around £330m a year to support charitable activity and this must not be put at risk due to the impacts of COVID-19. In addition to raising vital funds, charity shops provide people on lower incomes with a source of affordable goods and benefit the environment by enabling goods to be reused.

“The financial impact of COVID-19 on charities and charity retailers has been drastic. We estimate that during the initial lockdown period charity shops lost around £285m in customer sales and that they will lose a further £91.8m in customer sales during the current national restrictions. Their parent charities are facing a perfect storm of increased demand for charitable services and dramatic falls in trading and fundraising income.”

The CRA urged Ms Badenoch to ensure that charity shops were among the first non-essential retailers allowed to reopen, and called for a temporary boost to the value of the Gift Aid scheme.

They also called for state aid to be extended to all charity shops and for continued support for all retail. q

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We wish you a merry fundraiser! [

LONG-TERM FUNDRAISING PLANS may have been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, but events centred on Christmas may still be the largest fundraising drive for many charities. They won’t be able to host many traditional fundraising events this year, but the sector can make virtual plans. If necessary, they can be adjusted.

Charity Choice, with some help from online giving platform DONATE, offers some festive fundraising ideas for charities this Christmas:

Decorating trees around the community

Christmas fete

Why not develop a seasonal quiz on Facebook livestream or Zoom?

Then place your unique and memorable donation text code on screen so everyone involved can text in to donate at any point.

If there is the opportunity, a well-known host will draw in the crowds and encourage viewers to share on social media, with a hashtag that matches your SMS text code to raise awareness.

Perhaps you could host your Grand Auction online this year. Whether it's small lots like hampers, virtual gifts and promises, or larger lots like a weekend break, with DONATE’s online auction platform all lots are online, meaning you can share the links on social media and newsletters to garner attention.

With online auctions, bidding is both easy and immediate, and with a live totaliser keeping everyone engaged your charity could even host a virtual nice-pie party in the last hour or so to drum up some last minute bids and donations.

Carol service

If you're a church or religious group that hosts an annual carol service, perhaps as an alternative this year you could record the carols and both sell copies of the CD in the porch via contactless and sell streams using DONATE’s text service to watch online via YouTube or Vimeo?

Alternatively – and if safe – host a live carol concert on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, with a £3 donation viewing fee in lieu of an entry donation. The celebrant could say a few words to begin and you could even support it with a short nativity play.

Each tree entry could have a £3 entry fee, with the best-dressed tree winning a small prize. You could even work with a local garden centre to rent potted Christmas trees in an open space for people to decorate in time slots and, once the competition is over, the entrants could buy their tree, supporting your charity and the garden centre.

Quiz

Community lunch

A community-based charity planning on hosting a Christmas lunch could encourage food bank donations ahead of the busy Christmas period? With financial donations through contactless or web giving, foodbanks can stock up on items they know they will need ahead of time.

Panto

Team up with a local theatre to host a virtual pantomime. Not only will you be supporting local arts at a time when they need it, but your charity can host the video link with a donation link on screen in the ‘interval’ for people to donate £3 in lieu of their normal snacks.

Be quick, though: if you’re not you may find the opportunity is Behind You! q

Help for those with failing sight

[

FAILING EYESIGHT is nothing short of a personal catastrophe.

Do you have a family member, friend or neighbour who is gradually losing their sight?

Reading, recognising friends and living skills are all affected as your sight is going – and it’s much harder if you live alone.

The National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK) keeps its members in touch with general information, help and updates on what’s going on.

The charity produces bi-monthly news magazines and circulars in audio, braille or electronically, which members can read independently. It also encourages blind and partially sighted people to play a fuller part in society. q • For further information contact NFBUK on 01924 291313, email admin@nfbuk.org or visit www.nfbuk.org.

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The range of charities which depend on legacies to carry out their valuable work is a broad one. Those that are represented in this publication are listed below, grouped according to the area of activity in which they operate.

ANIMAL WELFARE

INDEX

MEDICAL RESEARCH

Friends of the Animals 4/5

Prostate Cancer Research Centre 1

The Owls Trust 6

Pain Relief Foundation 2

The Jim Cronin Memorial Fund 8

World Cancer Research Fund 17/32

Marwell Wildlife 10

CLEFT 18

Forever Hounds Trust 10

Royal College of Surgeons 28

Heartbeat Home for Horses 11

Brain Research UK 28

Environmental Investigation Agency 14 The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary 15 British Chelonia Group 16 The Suffolk Punch Trust 18 FOUR PAWS 20/21

SUPPORT & ADVICE Seafarers UK 19

Last Chance Animal Rescue 22 Three Counties Dog Rescue 23 The New European Distressed Donkey Initiative Ltd 24

OVERSEAS AID

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary 25 Tiggywinkles 26

ZANE: Zimbabwe A National Emergency 22

Wild Futures 26 Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue 27

HEALTH & DISABILITY CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

Seeing Dogs 2 National Federation of the Blind of the United Kingdom 30

Kidney Kids Scotland 6 Hypo Hounds 9 Brainwave 12

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