Legacy Futures Award winners announced

[IN MAY the winners of the 2022 Legacy Futures Awards were announced. The awards celebrate new and emerging talent in the legacy and in-memory field. Selected by an independent panel of experts, most of the award winners hail from the UK, but a campaign from Deakin University in Australia, led by Tracey King, stole the show in the Innovation category.

In August last year Deakin University embarked upon its inaugural digital acquisition campaign for legacies, aiming to build a strong pipeline of future philanthropic income. Approaching their alumni and encouraging them to consider leaving a gift in their will was not only a first for Deakin, but also for any Australian university.

Recognising that the cost of will-making can be a barrier, they offered a cost-effective online will service, which led to over 100 completed wills and several alumni writing Deakin into their will. The Deakin fundraising team shared their learnings with peers, setting up a Gifts in Wills group of 30 universities across the country and 40 higher education professionals.

The judges of the Innovation Award – Lucinda Darby of Remember a Charity and Dr Claire Routley of Legacy Voice – praised the campaign planning. They were particularly impressed by the impact it had on the wider sector with the formation of the Australian Gifts In Wills network. The prize for the Innovation award sees the gifts in wills team at Deakin offered a design thinking workshop with Legacy Voice.

In other categories, the winners of this year’s Future Leader Award – celebrating those who are new to a legacy or in-memory giving role – were Abbie Barton at Tŷ Hafan, Nikita Gandhi of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Anna Webster of CancerCare.

The judges – Emma Bowles of Porchlight (a 2021 winner) and Lena Vizy of Amnesty International Netherlands – felt that each of the future leaders demonstrated exceptional fundraising abilities and strategic thinking, and that they would benefit and grow from the six-month mentorship offered to award winners.

The Crispin Ellison Award Winners were Mary Taylor-Lewis of the University of York and Emma Newell of Claire House Children’s Hospice.

Named in memory of former Legacy Link director Crispin Ellison, the award – selected by judges Carolyn Jones at the University of Liverpool (2021 award winner) and Meenaxi Patel at the British Heart Foundation – celebrates exceptional individuals working or volunteering in legacy administration and management.

The winners each receive a training package from the Institute of Legacy Management, funding the cost of the Certificate in Charity Legacy Administration (CiCLA).

Having only been in her role at the University of York for six months, Mary is the sole person responsible for legacy giving and she has demonstrated great progress and enthusiasm. The judges commented on her dedication and commitment to ensuring that legacy pledgers are continually looked after and stewarded.

Similarly, Emma hit the ground running in her role of legacy fundraiser at Claire House Children’s Hospice, where their legacy income continues to grow. Emma’s strong passion and enthusiasm comes across in droves, instilling legacy confidence across Claire House Children’s Hospice, and inspiring their legacy supporters. 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 around 560 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 4,500 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

[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

Cost of living crisis has a devastating impact

[THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS of the year have been the busiest in Hope Rescue’s 16-year history and the charity believes this is only going to intensify as cost of living rises take their toll on people’s pockets. They have taken in nearly 300 dogs at their rescue centre in Llanharan, which is nearly double pre-pandemic levels.

With many owners turning to them in desperate situations, they are receiving between 20 to 30 calls a day from owners saying their financial circumstances have changed. They are hearing from people who are struggling for money – they can’t afford vet bills and simply can no longer provide for their pets. On top of this, they are still seeing quite a high number of dogs that appear to be deliberately abandoned and are arriving as ‘strays’.

The charity currently has over 230 dogs in their care across its rescue and foster homes. Many of these dogs can't move to new homes due to ongoing legal investigations. The limited kennel space remaining needs to be reserved to ensure stray dog contracts are fulfilled. Over the last few weeks they have had not one, but nine apparent fake strays.

They are facing an animal welfare crisis with owners abandoning their pets almost daily, pretending to have found a stray rather than joining the rehoming waiting list. They are jumping the queue over those already waiting. Some owners on the list really need help due to issues such as poor health, the death of the owner or a tragic change in circumstances – but they are pushed further down the list due to the fake strays.

Many of these fake strays arrive with health problems which may well be the reason they have been abandoned. The charity’s vet bills are through the roof and are currently between £25,000 and £30,000 each month. Alongside this, utility bills last year were around £4,000 a month and are expected to be around 30% higher than that in the near future. On top of all of this, the cost of living crisis is also making fundraising understandably difficult. q