Will Aid Campaign
1 - 30 Nov 2009
Event Details
Your solicitor will help you include your family, your church family and favourite charities in your Will.
Gordon Randall, Director of Discipleship, is encouraging parishes to participate once again in the Will Aid campaign this November 2009. Most people need to review their will at least once every five years and Will Aid offers a great opportunity to do this whilst also making a donation to a charity of their local church. This initiative allows donors the opportunity to consider leaving a legacy to their favourite charities including their local parish church. Every year gifts in wills account for about 10 per cent of national parish voluntary income and legacies are by far the most cost-effective form of fundraising there is, even more than regular giving.
The Diocese is unable to distribute posters and leaflets directly to parishes as in previous years due to distribution problems at Will Aid but the key elements of the scheme remain the same are as listed below:
• participating solicitors write straight-forward wills for free during November in return for a donation to the nine Will Aid charities
• the suggested donation for a single will is £75, representing excellent value for money
• the suggested donation for mirror wills for a couple is £110, and for a simple codicil to an existing will £40
• the solicitor will want a larger donation for more complex wills (eg involving trusts or tax-planning)
• all donations can be Gift Aided by taxpayers, adding an extra 28 per cent for the charities
• last year’s Will Aid campaign raised a record of nearly £1m in donations for charities, including Christian Aid
• since it started more than a decade ago, Will Aid has raised over £7m in donations, and many more £millions in potential legacies.
• you can find local participating solicitors from www.willaid.org.uk or by telephoning:
0300 0300 013.
Visit the Will Aid website – www.willaid.org.uk – to find your nearest participating solicitors.
The Church’s own website with resources about gifts in wills and Legacy Sundays is www.churchlegacy.org.uk and the Church’s national helpline about wills and gifts is 0844 5870 875 or email info@churchlegacy.org.uk
We would like to encourage parishes to publicise this campaign in their parish magazines and/or pew sheets. Will Aid posters can be ordered directly from Will Aid.
Further information
A flyer to display in your church can be downloaded by clicking here.