Campaign stresses the benefits of will registration

[DURING MAY the National Will Register ran its annual Free Will Registration Month, which promotes the benefits of registering wills to both legal professionals and the general public.

In 2020 the legal profession saw a sharp increase in the number of wills being made. One of the many effects that the outbreak of COVID-19 had was that many members of the public were faced with addressing their mortality and the issue of who they would wish to inherit their estate after they had passed away.

For law firms, registering their clients’ wills on the National Will Register ensures that they can be quickly and easily located by the testator’s named executors and beneficiaries. For over a decade, the organisation has built up a significant national register of wills and will search service that protects law firms, testators, executors and beneficiaries every day.

Those who use the register range from sole practitioners to over 50% of the Legal 500 and the majority of the most respected firms in the country. There are now over 8.9 million registrations on the system and that number continues to rise on a daily basis.

Moreover, it is not unusual for a testator to use different law firms and will writers to update their existing will without notifying the named executors, beneficiaries or the professional who drafted the previous will.

Registering a client’s will not only protects against the incorrect distribution of an estate, and the issues that surround an unknown will coming to light, but also the loss of probate work that can occur because the will and the law firm that wrote and stored it are unknown to the executors and beneficiaries.

The National Will Register is the Law Society of England and Wales’s trusted partner. It is used by the public, the legal profession, law firms, PI insurers, government agencies, charities and other associated sectors and organisations to register and search for wills.

The National Will Register’s Vicky Box commented: “The National Will Register's annual Free Will Registration Month is going really well. We have been inundated from members of the public and law firms who wish to contribute to the campaign. Overall, there has been an 88% increase in will registrations in the past six months in comparison to previous years. It's fantastic to see such a positive response and as a team, we are here to assist everybody who wishes to take advantage of the incentive until 4 June.”

To express their interest and to begin registering their clients’ wills, firms can call 0330 100 3660 or email enquiries@certainty.co.uk. For members of the public to register their will they should visit www.nationalwillregister.co.uk and click on ‘REGISTER A WILL’. They do not need a copy of their will to register it and the register does not need to see their will. 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 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.

Charity’s lifestyle recommendations help reduce the risk of cancer

[WORLD CANCER RESEARCH FUND (WCRF) is the UK’s only charity solely dedicated to cancer prevention. Over the past 30 years WCRF has worked tirelessly to fund scientific research worldwide seeking to understand better the links between our lifestyles and cancer.

The scientific evidence from the research they’ve funded clearly demonstrates a link between diet, weight, physical activity and cancer. From this WCRF has developed its Cancer Prevention Recommendations. Over 40 independent studies have shown that the more closely people follow the package of recommendations, the lower their risk of developing cancer will be.

WCRF’s CEO Rachael Gormley explained: “Every day in the UK around 1,100 people will hear the words ‘you have cancer’. Over 400 of those people could have avoided that life-changing diagnosis if they’d had access to the right information and made simple everyday changes in their diet, weight and physical activity. Given the impact of coronavirus we know cancer cases will increase, and so it’s more vital than ever that we give people the practical, straightforward advice and information they need to help prevent cancer and survive after a diagnosis.”

WCRF receives no government funding, so its work is only possible as a result of supporters’ fundraising and through gifts in wills.

Head of legacy development Sarah Rebus said: “The gifts people have left us in their wills have contributed a huge amount to the research we’ve been able to fund so far, but there is still so much to do. I hope more people will want to join us and include a gift to support our future work when they next write or update their wills. Because I believe including a gift to WCRF might be the best way we can help give our loved ones and future generations the power to prevent and survive cancer in the years ahead.”

To read WCRF’s cancer prevention recommendations visit www.wcrf-uk.org/10ways and to find out more about how you can help their life saving work visit www.wcrf-uk.org/legacy. q

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

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

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 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 make your will without it costing you a penny, please visit bequeathed.org/fourpaws.