Legacy professionals meet in person for annual conference

[THIS YEAR’S Annual Conference of the Institute of Legacy Management (ILM) took place in person on 6 May, in association with Bates Wells. All those who attended agreed it was a fantastic event, with a great range of sessions – as well as a chance to catch up with legacy friends old and new. It was, as the ILM posted, after a long twoyear wait, but welcome just the same.

As well as a session from headline sponsor Bates Wells on the Charities Act, the conference heard updates from Legacy Foresight and HMCTS and participated in a range of fascinating panel discussions.

A major subject area of the day was fraud, with many charities suffering increased attention from fraudsters following the pandemic. One speaker was Daniel Pepper, senior legacy income manager at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). He recounted two instances where lawyers had attempted to defraud RNIB and another charity of legacies. One of them hinged on asking questions about a sum of £350 for legal costs.

He told the conference: “The most important thing your charity has to deflect and identify fraud is you. You’re on the frontline against fraud in legacy work.”

He continued: “It’s our charity’s money; we’re entitled to that. This is not something there should be an argument about. Someone has taken that time to say ‘I want these charities to benefit and I want them to benefit a lot.’ There is no question about it.”

Headline sponsor Bates Wells provided delegates with a factsheet in relation to fraud in legacies, which is available to download at legacymanagement.org.uk.

The conference also saw two awards ceremonies. The ILM Awards were sponsored by Legacy Futures and presented by Meg Abdy. Bethany Dowell of Battersea was crowned Legacy Professional of the Year and James Fernandes of CRUK won the inaugural CiCLA Mentor of the Year award.

Meanwhile, Mary Taylor Lewis of the University of York and Emma Newell of Claire House Children’s Hospice picked up the Crispin Ellison Bursary Awards. They are now part of the Legacy Futures Awards, which are reported on in detail on page 15. q

Make surgery your legacy with a free will writing service

[ALMOST FIVE MILLION surgical patients are admitted to hospital every year in England alone, so choosing to leave the Royal College of Surgeons of England a gift in your will can have a direct impact on the future of surgery and in maintaining and supporting the enhancement of surgical care for patients.

RCS England have now partnered with Bequeathed and are offering a free will writing service. The Bequeathed service offers supporters a free, fully advised will from an accredited legal professional. It takes three simple steps: 1. Go to the RCS England page at www.bequeathed.org/ rcsengland 1. and complete the online interview. 2. Have a 30-minute telephone/video appointment with a legal firm 1. to ensure the will fully caters for your needs. 3. Receive your will in the post – sign it, have it witnessed and 1. return it. They will check it has been executed correctly and store 1. it securely free of charge.

Sharing your vision

Legacies can support any area of the college’s work; unrestricted contributions can be used wherever the need is greatest and many are in support of an individual project or surgical specialty. Ultimately, RCS England want to understand what their supporters would like their gift to achieve.

To get in touch, you can email fundraising@rcseng.ac.uk or if you would like an informal chat, please call Nicola on 020 7869 6086. q

Practical support helps to alleviate the impact of sight loss

[THERE ARE TWO MILLION people in the UK living with sight loss and by 2050 the figure is set to double. Being diagnosed with any form of sight loss is lifechanging and devastating for both the individuals concerned and their families.

The Partially Sighted Society is a national charity that understands this; it has been providing help and support to anybody living with sight loss for over 50 years.

The society’s range of services includes the design, printing and provision of bespoke school exercise books for children, a specialist low-vision and sight test service, and the provision of aids and equipment to assist those living with sight loss to continue to live full and independent lives.

They are there to offer support for both the practical and the emotional impact of sight loss, by phone and in person. They also offer a range of social and support activities to alleviate the social isolation that comes with sight loss.

Leaving a gift in a will is a meaningful way of helping The Partially Sighted Society to help others. Legacies leave a lasting impact on transforming the lives of those living with sight loss. q